Australia

The next federal parliament is set to have a record number of women but Australia still has a "long way to go" until it achieves gender parity in its corridors of power.

Australian women in politics have had enough.

A slew of allegations of sexist bullying and misogyny have emerged in recent years, while at the same time the country has steadily tumbled down the global rankings for female political representation.

Two weeks out from the general election, Australia says its most trusted politician is Jacinda Ardern.

In a poll by Millward Brown, 1400 Australians were asked to score 12 politicians across six areas: relevance, integrity, shared values, commitment, affinity and follow-through.

SYDNEY, Australia — Julie Bishop, the popular former Australian foreign minister, said Thursday that she would not run in coming federal elections, adding to the conservative government’s already-bleak image as a place that is inhospitable to women.

While the Liberal party ties itself in knots over how to get more women into Parliament, a female rebellion is building across the country. Women are determining the circumstances in which they enter and leave the Parliament outside of the traditional benchmarks that have defined the rules of admission.

Australia’s Minister for Women Kelly O’Dwyer said Saturday she will quit politics for personal reasons at this year’s election, adding to the list of female politicians to leave the ruling party, some citing disunity, bullying and intimidation.

Women in Australia make half of the population, but they make up less than a quarter of federal politicians in the Liberal party, the senior partner in the governing coalition.