Comment Editors Rayhan Hussain and Ruth Otim speak exclusively with Julia Gillard, examining her call for resilient feminist leadership and the urgent need to recognise women’s economic contributions as highlighted at a recent panel event.
Julia Gillard served as the 27th Prime Minister of Australia between 2010-2013, she is the first and only woman to hold the role.
On 6 November, King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL), the Gender Studies Network, and Feminist Perspectives held a panel event titled: “Women’s Contributions to Economic Growth – Is the Government Missing a Trick?” The night was also in celebration of the late Brenda Trenowden (1967-2022), who was “an exemplar of inclusive leadership” in the financial services.
Jelke Boesten, Professor in Gender and Development at the Department of International Development, began the event by highlighting the panel was “overshadowed by the U.S. Election” – in light of Donald Trump’s re-election. In spite of this, the discussion of the panellists and the prize-winners’ speeches ushered an air of hopefulness and enthusiasm which was much needed.
Leading the panel was The Right Honourable Julia Gillard, the 27th Prime Minister of Australia and current chair of GIWL. She was joined by panellists Pavita Cooper: UK Chair of the 30% Club; Eka Ikpe: Director of the African Leadership Centre at King’s; Erin Mansell: Head of Communications and Public Affairs at the Women’s Budget Group; and Isabel Berwick: Host and Editor of the Financial Times‘ Working It podcast.
Alongside these exceptionally accomplished female panellists, the night also recognised the accomplishments of three King’s students for the Brenda Trenowden Feminist Analysis Essay Competition: Ruth Otim, Lisa Lefebvre-Risso and Qianqian Li.
Following the panel discussion and the distribution of the awards, Roar spoke exclusively with the Rt Hon. Gillard, which can be found below.
Panel Discussion: Women, Policy, and Progress
Gillard initiated the panel with a light tone, continuing Boesten’s remarks on the U.S. election that there was a “Trump-sized orange elephant in the room.” Other than focusing on the dire consequences Trump’s administration may have on women’s rights and representation across the U.S., Gillard chose to emphasise the importance of the event:
“It’s actually no better time for us to be together, and to be discussing feminist issues and what we are going to do next. And no better time to be honouring Brenda who, quintessentially, was a fighter across her life […] for women’s equality; for recognition of women’s contributions [..] Brenda’s spirit is with us as we have this discussion.”
The Right Honourable Julia Gillard, the 27th Prime Minister of Australia and current chair of GIWL.
Following this, Cooper was asked about the work that The 30% Club have done to implement policies that “recruit women, retain women, and advance women into senior leadership roles.” Cooper remarked how the Club’s campaign has distinguished itself from the rest by men and women working together – and asserted that “it has never been just about women speaking in a vacuum.”
The collaboration of men and women, however, must be coordinated by organisational policies that ensure both can be treated and paid equally. Concerning the latter, Cooper mentioned an alarming, yet unsurprising statistic about the Gender Pay Gap in the UK:
“A young woman who is 18 joining the workforce today will not see pay equity in her lifetime […] if we can still see that happening in organisations, there’s a long way to go.”
Pavita Cooper, Chair of The 30% Club
Mansell acknowledged that, despite Rachel Reeves’ first budget as the UK’s first female Chancellor, criticisms around welfare spending have been revived. Specifically, she discussed how the expected minimum wage increase in April 2025 would have a “disproportionate benefit for women,” given that 60% of minimum wage earners are women.
She found it disappointing, however, that more was not being done on social security when reports have shown, with increasing clarity, the true extent of women’s contributions to the economy in unpaid labour. These women, in effect, “tend to rely more on social security.” The social security systems which support both women’s paid and unpaid work in the UK still require a lot of attention but, as acknowledged by Professor Ikpe, so does the labour of women in the Global South.
Her work has specialised in the African context, where emerging economies have presented different challenges to women’s contributions regarding their nation’s economic development. Interestingly, Ikpe’s focus was on the creative economies and women’s labour. She placed a spotlight on the originality of African women’s entrepreneurship in the creative economy and their innovative designs, “controlling marketing and sales processes using digital technologies.”
As much as these women are pioneering sustainable entrepreneurship, they face challenges with financing their work. With these problems being faced by female creative entrepreneurs, she rightly acknowledged that:
“We [academics] come with the theories, with certain ideas and we think we know it all, but actually going to these spaces, a lot of the creative women entrepreneurs we are speaking to […[ know what the challenges and know how we can go about addressing this.”
Eka Ikpe, Director of the King’s African Leadership Centre and Professor in Development Economics
Her point re-centred the agency of female entrepreneurs in the Global South, who know how crucial government policy and finance is in supporting not only their work but communities. Ikpe recalled how these women emphasised the importance of collaboration in their work.
Meanwhile, Berwick has reason to be hopeful, but also found it important to stress the failures with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategies. The idea of the “woke-mind virus,” as she put it, has taken hold in the American electorate and has pushed us to consider how we can take DEI forward from right-wing rhetorical trappings.
Taking out bias, which she admitted is quite challenging since “we are all full of biases” is important in appointing women to senior positions. Tackling inclusivity in the workplace, and preventing Generative AI from making us work more instead of less, is an insight that includes and implicates everyone.
Recognising Excellence: The Trenowden Essay Prize Winners
The top three winners of the Trenowden Essay Prize highlighted profound issues in feminist discourse through their essays.
Ruth Otim: A final-year undergraduate Politics student at King’s College London, and Comment Editor at Roar News, secured first place, delivering a poignant, inspiring speech. Ruth’s essay explored the complex relationship between welfare state policies and female labour force participation, analysing how defamilialisation can impact women’s economic independence. Her heartfelt speech acknowledged her mother’s role in her achievements, moving many in the audience (including Otim herself) to tears as she expressed deep gratitude. Ruth’s work underscores her commitment to gender equality and social justice, making her win both well-deserved and touching.
Lisa Lefebvre-Risso: The second-place winner, recent graduate of King’s and former President of the KCL Politics Society, is currently pursuing an MPhil in Political Science and Government at the University of Oxford. Her essay examined factors influencing women’s political representation, especially the impact of female leadership within far-right populist parties on feminist policies. By analysing figures such as Marine Le Pen, Lisa’s work highlighted the challenges and contradictions faced by female leaders in traditionally conservative political spaces. Her insightful approach sheds light on the nuanced role of women in politics and their influence – or lack thereof – on feminist policy advocacy.
Qianqian Li: The third-place, who joined the event virtually, addressed the intersection of digital health, patriarchy, and self-tracking technology in her essay. Her research examined how period-tracking apps can perpetuate patriarchal norms and commodify women’s health data. Qianqian’s work is a compelling call to consider the ethical implications of digital health tools, especially regarding privacy and autonomy.
Examining these exceptional students’ achievements not only reflects their academic excellence but also their dedication to feminist analysis, making a significant impact in the field. You can read their essays here.
Julia Gillard on Resilience, Leadership, and the Fight for Equality
Following the main formalities of the event, Gillard spoke exclusively to Roar about her personal experiences and her perspectives as she rose up the ranks to high office in a heavily male-dominated background.
She explained that, as a child, she held a “kid-like understanding” that girls and boys should be treated equally – asserting that this was even reinforced within the confines of her family home. On her role in advancing the rights of women and girls – “it wasn’t until I went to university that I got into contact with anything called feminism – or even understanding what the word feminism meant at that age!”
The former prime minister of Australia graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Melbourne in 1986. Indeed, when Gillard was at university herself, she recalls how gender studies was non-existent in the spheres of academia.
“[It was] through my contact with the Women’s Group and the various women’s movements on campus where I could learn intellectually about the patriarchy and the entrenched systems of discrimination.”
This was the lightbulb moment as Gillard describes what led her to identify as a feminist
This provided an anchor for Gillard to take everything she learned from her student political activism straight to her legal career. She joined the law firm Slater & Gordon in 1990 and was admitted as a partner at the age of 29, breaking records by becoming both the youngest partner at the firm as well as the first woman to hold such a position.
It would not be hyperbolic to describe Gillard as a trailblazer.
Before becoming an MP herself for the Australian House of Representatives in 1998, she led a generation of Labour women responsible for drafting affirmative action rules to get more women into Parliament.
And in all lines of her work, she has attempted to invoke a feminist lens where possible. This was no different in 2010 when she broke the ultimate barrier, becoming the first female prime minister of Australia.
“It was only once I got the top job that I felt the worst teeth of backlash against women leaders, which was truly laid bare. The discourse quickly became more and more gendered.”
Gillard on the wider public reaction to her historic achievement
Probed on what her advice would be for women aspiring to break into leadership roles? Gillard jokes that our generation “has the benefit of seeing this movie before!” – suggesting that it will be easier given the diverse case studies of women succeeding in smashing the glass ceiling. She cites Hillary Clinton, Jacinda Ardern and Theresa May for their efforts in paving the way for future generations.
There is cause for concern, however. The nature of the backlash and the nature of misogyny in this era of social media and the 24-hour news cycle is comparable to a “cancer.” Nevertheless, Gillard is optimistic that the up-and-coming younger generation of female leaders will have the resilience to withstand the torrent of abuse.
It is absolutely clear that lots can be learnt from the likes of Julia Gillard and her contemporaries. Her experiences underscore the necessity of a collective effort to challenge discrimination, with her story serving as a blueprint for navigating the gendered obstacles that remain. As the world continues to watch women break new ground, Gillard’s legacy shines as a testament to the power of perseverance and the enduring impact of feminist advocacy.
The entire event, including the memorable panel discussion and winners’ acceptance speeches, can be viewed here.
Rayhan Hussain is the Associate Editor at Roar News, having been the paper’s Comment Editor and Staff Writer between 2023 and 2025. During that time, he studied Politics at King’s College London and is currently undertaking an MA in Government Studies at King’s. Rayhan has also gained experience with The Times and The Telegraph - and recently interned at Edelman, the world's largest communication firm. At Roar, Rayhan has reported on high-profile campus stories, shaped student discourse through his editorial work, and moderated events with prominent journalists.
