Australia

Cate Faehrmann acknowledges the fact that she took a big risk in resigning from the NSW Legislative Assembly to contest the federal election on September 7. But for this traditional ‘greenie’ and founding director of GetUp!, “its absolutely a risk worth taking”.

“For me a lot of the issues that I care very passionately about are the federal issues like climate change, the environment and the treatment of asylum seekers,” Cate Faehrmann told Australian Women Online.

Liberal MP Teresa Gambaro learnt what it meant to have guts long before she went into politics. Her parents, who immigrated to Australia from Italy after World War II, ran a small fish store in Petrie Terrace, an inner-city suburb of Brisbane. Far from the seafood industry, Ms Gambaro is now scaling the political ladder – but the fight to retain the seat of Brisbane, one of the most marginal electorates in the country, will definitely require some guts.

The key message conveyed in Kelly O’Dwyer’s maiden speech in parliament was that of aspiration.

In February 2010, the Federal Member for Higgins *Vic) cited the story of her grandparents who established a small business and, through their aspirations, created opportunities for their family that carried down through the generations and informed her politics.

We invite you to read the full article published August 21, 2013 

Julia Gillard may be out and 'sexygate' may be rumbling on, but let's not forget there are incredible female politicians in Australia

Tony Abbott was criticised last week for referring to Liberal candidate Fiona Scott's "sex appeal", but he's back at it. This morning he praised Scott's answer to a question about his economic plan with the comment: "obviously from that answer she ain't just a pretty face."

Next up in our Women in Politics series, is Senator Bridget McKenzie. Tall and blonde, Ms McKenzie gained unwanted media attention last year when fellow National Party Senator Barnaby Joyce referred to her in the Senate as “a flash bit of kit.”

FROM the age of five, an eager Bridget McKenzie would wake up at 3 am and accompany her father as he delivered milk to darkened houses in northern Victoria.