A Podcast of One's Own with Julia Gillard

A Podcast of One's Own with Julia Gillard
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Julia Gillard, the only woman to have served as Prime Minister of Australia sits down for insightful, moving and thought-provoking conversations with some of the most interesting people from around the world working to advance gender equality – whether that's by actively dismantling gender-based barriers, or by being inspirational trailblazers in their field. We'll bring you stories from the worlds of business, entertainment, media, sport and many more, shining a light on people doing amazing things that you might not have heard about, and learning more about those we already know and love. Julia presents a podcast in her role as Founder and Chair of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership (GIWL). GIWL is a world-leading research institute working to advance gender equality within workplaces, communities and societies. The podcast is produced by the GIWL team at the Australian National University, Canberra, with support from our sister institute at King's College London. Earnings from the podcast go back into the Institute, supporting the work we do to advance gender equality in Australia and the Asia Pacific, and beyond. To stay up to date with the Institute’s work go to giwl.anu.edu.au and sign up to our updates, or follow us on social media @GIWLANU. You can also find @APodcastofOnesOwn on Instagram. The team at A Podcast of One's Own acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 2D AGO

    Suzie Miller on theatre as a force for social change

    To kick off our new season, Julia sits down with award-winning playwright and former criminal defence lawyer Suzie Miller. Suzie’s work sits at the intersection of law, storytelling and social change. Before becoming one of the most influential voices in contemporary theatre, she spent years working inside the justice system as a criminal defence lawyer – an experience that would later shape many of her plays. She is best known for her groundbreaking play Prima Facie, a one-woman production that premiered in Sydney before becoming a global phenomenon on the West End and Broadway. The play won major international awards and sparked powerful conversations about sexual assault, consent and the limits of the legal system. In this conversation, Suzie reflects on her journey from the courtroom to the theatre, the responsibility of artists to engage with difficult truths, and why storytelling can sometimes shift public thinking in ways that policy and law cannot. She also discusses her latest play, Inter Alia, which continues her exploration of justice and power through a new lens — masculinity, parenting and accountability. Together, Julia and Suzie discuss the power of theatre to challenge the justice system, shift public debate and spark cultural change. This is a deep and wide-ranging discussion that touches on difficult topics, including rape, sexual assault and consent. We encourage listeners to be mindful of this before listening and to take care if these topics are difficult for them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 10m

  2. 12/17/2025

    Julia Gillard and Kathy Lette look back on 2025

    In the final episode of 2025 Julia Gillard and Kathy Lette look back on their favourite books of the year. In a candid and funny chat they also discuss writing memoirs, the upcoming release of Kathy's new book, Julia's role as Chair of the Women's Prize for Fiction and their plans for the holiday season. Show notes: Kathy Lette's new novel The Sisterhood Rules will be published in Australia on February 3, 2026 and in the UK on April 9. For more information about the Women's Prize for Fiction visit https://womensprize.com/prizes/womens-prize-for-fiction/ For more on our 2025 Julia's Book Club reads visit our Instagram page @apodcastofonesown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min

  3. 10/29/2025

    Catherine & Naomi on job sharing & diversity in national security

    This month's episode of A Podcast of One's Own is a little unusual because you'll hear from two guests, who are unaccustomed to the limelight as they work in the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office which is one department of the UK’s national security community. They're also both mums and in a long term job share.  They talk to Julia about the stereotypes and misconceptions of their work, what it’s really like for women, diversity in national security and how they make job-sharing work in such an important area.  For more on diversity in the intelligence sector: https://giwl.anu.edu.au/our-research/classified-and-secret https://giwl.anu.edu.au/our-research/why-do-women-remain-under-represented-international-affairs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    43 min

  4. 10/15/2025

    Kelly T. Clements on the global refugee and foreign aid crisis

    Kelly T. Clements has made it her life’s mission to help people who have been displaced by war, violence, famine and other catastrophes. Kelly has served as Deputy High Commissioner of UNHCR (The United Nations High Commission for Refugees) since 2015. In this episode Julia Gillard and Kelly discuss her 30 year career that’s taken her to conflict zones around the world. They delve into the devastating cutbacks to foreign aid spending and how that’s impacting millions of people in desperate need.  Show notes: To learn more about the work of UNHCR visit https://www.unhcr.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min

  5. 10/01/2025

    Julia's Book Club - Highway 13

    In this month’s Book Club episode, Julia Gillard and her co-host Sarah Holland-Batt explore Highway 13 by internationally acclaimed Australian author Fiona McFarlane. The award-winning book is a series of loosely connected short stories focusing on the lives of everyday people who have all been affected by a single serial killer in a small Australian town. Paul Biga is arrested and charged over the brutal murders of at least a dozen backpackers and hitchhikers along an Australian highway in the 1990s. The reverberations of his crimes stretch far and wide, with McFarlane delving into the past and the future, and across continents, to explore the impact on those with strong links to the killer, as well as those with an interest in the case. Julia and Sarah discuss how the book connects to real life cases and places and which stories left the biggest impression on them . Show notes: Highway 13 is published by Allen & Unwin and available in most good book shops. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min

  6. 09/17/2025

    Jacinda Ardern on leading with kindness.

    In this episode Julia Gillard sits down with former New Zealand Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern. Jacinda was just 37 years old when she was elected Prime Minister, and a few months later became the second leader in history to give birth while in office, when she welcomed her daughter Neve. This year Jacinda published her memoir - A Different Kind of Power - an aptly named book for someone who always pushed back against stereotypes and assumptions about what leadership is, and asked the question, what if kindness came first?  In this conversation Julia and Jacinda discuss their experiences as women leaders, Jacinda’s journey to the Prime Ministership and what life looks like for her now post-politics. Show notes: A Different Kind of Power is published by Penguin and is available at all good bookstores. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min

  7. 09/03/2025

    Julia's Book Club - The Book of Guilt

    In a special Book Club episode, Julia Gillard sits down with Global Institute for Women’s Leadership Chair Professor Michelle Ryan to discuss The Book of Guilt by New Zealand author Catherine Chidgey. The Book of Guilt is a deeply unsettling exploration of autonomy, identity, and morality. It’s set in an alternate England in 1979 – where Hitler’s assassination in 1943 led to a negotiated peace and a chillingly different trajectory for post-war Britain. The story follows three identical boys: Vincent, William, and Lawrence, who are the last remaining residents of a bleak, run-down state children’s institution.  The boys are part of a mysterious government project, called The Sycamore Scheme, subjected to meticulous routines, daily medication, and round-the-clock surveillance. In a conversation recorded at GIWL at ANU in Canberra, Julia and Michelle discuss the book’s twists and turns, and how it explores humankind’s treatment of those deemed “the other’. Show notes: The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey is published by Penguin Books and is available at all good bookstores. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min

  8. 08/20/2025

    Katherine Bennell-Pegg on making history as Australia's first astronaut, the intense training and why space travel is worth the risks

    When Katherine Bennell-Pegg was in high school, she was asked to write down three career options to pursue. She wrote down one - astronaut. Last year, she not only fulfilled that ambition but she made history in doing so, becoming Australia’s first female astronaut and the first person to qualify as an astronaut under the Australian flag. For this episode, Julia met Katherine at the Australian Space Agency in Adelaide, where the mother-of-two is the Director of Space Technology. They discussed the intense training she’s undergone, her passion to progress action on global issues like climate change, the importance of diversity in space and why space travel is worth the risks. Show notes: Learn more about Katherine Bennell-Pegg and the work of the Australian Space Agency: https://www.space.gov.au/Katherine-Bennell-Pegg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    44 min
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About

Julia Gillard, the only woman to have served as Prime Minister of Australia sits down for insightful, moving and thought-provoking conversations with some of the most interesting people from around the world working to advance gender equality – whether that's by actively dismantling gender-based barriers, or by being inspirational trailblazers in their field. We'll bring you stories from the worlds of business, entertainment, media, sport and many more, shining a light on people doing amazing things that you might not have heard about, and learning more about those we already know and love. Julia presents a podcast in her role as Founder and Chair of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership (GIWL). GIWL is a world-leading research institute working to advance gender equality within workplaces, communities and societies. The podcast is produced by the GIWL team at the Australian National University, Canberra, with support from our sister institute at King's College London. Earnings from the podcast go back into the Institute, supporting the work we do to advance gender equality in Australia and the Asia Pacific, and beyond. To stay up to date with the Institute’s work go to giwl.anu.edu.au and sign up to our updates, or follow us on social media @GIWLANU. You can also find @APodcastofOnesOwn on Instagram. The team at A Podcast of One's Own acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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