YWCA Victoria

Media Release

“The Governor-General should be a woman”

says leading women’s organisation

Leading young women’s advocate YWCA Victoria has called on Prime Minister Howard to appoint a woman as Australia’s Governor-General.

“In April 2001 YWCA Victoria expressed our deep disappointment that our Prime Minister had missed an opportunity to appoint Australia’s first woman Governor-General. At the time Mr Howard said that he couldn’t find a woman with sufficient public clout for the job. We helped him by suggesting a number of women he could have appointed: Lowitja O’Donoghue, Mary Gaudron, Eve Mahlab, Professor Adrienne Clark, Professor Marcia Neave.” said President Liberty Sanger.

“How refreshing that now Mr Howard is in search of another Governor-General, a number of women are being suggested as possible candidates. Names that have been suggested include business woman Margaret Jackson, former Federal Minister Jocelyn Newman, and scientist Fiona Stanley, as well as some of the names mentioned above.”

“This is a historic opportunity for our Prime Minister to appoint a Governor-General who will provide meaningful and sensitive leadership to our community. Our community is in need of such leadership, having been rocked by a number of disturbing international and domestic incidents: the war on Iraq, the Bali bombing, SARS hysteria and its effect on our economy and the continuing high levels of violence in our community, in particular against women and children.”

“YWCA Victoria is committed to creating a world of equality and justice for young women. A world of equality and justice is possible in a society where we have leaders who are sensitive, responsible, just and able to play a healing role in our community.”

“YWCA Victoria believes that all the women named above are eminently qualified for the job and we call on the Prime Minister to consult widely and choose wisely, in fact, to choose a woman.” concluded Ms Sanger

2 June 2003