An Australian politician who was the 27th Prime Minister of Australia and leader of the Australian Labor Party. She was the first woman to hold either position.

Gillard was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1998 and later elected for the Shadow Cabinet in 2001. In 2007, she became the first female Deputy Prime Minster of Australia upon the Labor Party's victory, while also serving as Minister for Education, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, and Minister for Social Inclusion.

On June 24, 2010, Kevin Rudd, the prime minister at the time, lost the support of the Labor Party and resigned. Gillard was elected unopposed and became the 27th Prime Minister of Australia. From 2010 to 2013, her government formulated several critical pieces of legislation: a national disability insurance scheme and a new formula to fund government schools.

Many believed Gillard and the Labor Party would face an overwhelming defeat in the September 2013 elections. After months of inner party friction, Gillard called a leadership spill and was challenged by Kevin Rudd. On Just 26, 2013, after a vote of 57-45, Gillard lost the position of Prime Minister and Leader of the Labor Party to Rudd. Gillard resigned on that night and announced she will leave politics.