It’s a historic day for politics and women in Australia – and even more remarkable for one woman minister, who is also Queensland’s first ever Indigenous woman MP.
It must have been awkward, all this time, commencing cabinet meetings with the greeting: "Good morning, Lady and gentlemen".
Indonesia’s new president Joko Widodo has appointed eight women to his cabinet, vastly outdoing the Australian government when it comes to female representation.
Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
A national meeting of Labor women has been told the government is making gender equality a tougher battle in Australia.
New research has found negative media coverage of former PM, Julia Gillard, is discouraging women from pursuing their political aspirations.
Admitting that her own experience in politics was "mixed", Ms Gillard said she hoped more women would enter politics.
The latest round of national head-scratching about why there aren't more women in politics makes me want to poke out my own eyes with a rusty toasting fork.
In Australia, we congratulate Nova Peris on being the first indigenous female elected to the federal parliament and wish her success in her Senate journey ahead. Australia now has our first female Foreign Minister.
Tony Abbott's cabinet in Canberra is running short on girl power, but it's the sisters who continue to run the show in the Mackay region.