A lesson in dignity and tenacity: Quentin Bryce’s extraordinary legacy - Women's Agenda

A lesson in dignity and tenacity: Quentin Bryce’s extraordinary legacy

Touring regional Queensland last year speaking to a range of audiences about gender and the workplace I certainly encountered some lively debates.

But no matter what the reaction to the topic, whenever I mentioned the importance of female leaders such as Quentin Bryce there was almost unanimous enthusiasm for her.

Of course, she is a Queenslander, which worked in her favour, but she’s also a strong and committed feminist so the positive reaction was not necessarily what I expected.

Now, as our first woman Governor General prepares to leave the role, I’m sure I’m not the only one already missing her.

It’s not like you see the GG every day in the media but even when the familiar and always elegant figure of Quentin Bryce didn’t appear in front of our eyes, for many of us it was simply uplifting to know she was in the office.

That’s the thing about role models. They normalise the unusual and then show us why appointing leaders who don’t come from the usual power group is so important.

Being the first woman in a role usually attracts plenty of attention and pressure. But the Governor General did more than cope or become a figurehead who happened to break the mould. What she has brought to the role and showcased for Australians is actually a lesson in a different kind of leadership.

Perhaps most notably her tenure was marked by consistent emphasis and action on her core area of interest – well-being and equity for Australian women and girls.

There was no jettisoning of the feminist principles that have framed Quentin Bryce’s career and community work when she was appointed.

That could have been the case because no matter what anyone says, standing up and advocating for gender equality is not often the way to win friends and influence people in this country. In fact it can earn you a reputation for trouble-making or showing unfair favouritism pretty quickly.

So it was the way she went about sticking to her guns without alienating or excluding others that made her such a class act.

Quentin Bryce has always been clear about the need for change and addressing problems such as the gender pay gap to help all women. On many official occasions, such as those to mark International Women’s day, the array of women invited to the celebrations was amazing.

They weren’t there as tokens either. There were women from all walks of life, ethnic and religious backgrounds and across socio-economic groups. And they were people the Governor General knew or had worked with or been connected to – some for many decades.

Her work with indigenous women is no secret but has been another enduring feature of her time in Yarralumla too.

Some of the support the GG has offered to women has not been visible to the public and that’s exactly the way she wanted it.

But as she found her voice in the role there were occasions when she did speak out – such as the Boyer lecture series last year. And many of us listened carefully to her views on gay marriage and the prospect of an Australian head of state.

She showed us that having quiet impact, dignity and tenacity is at least as effective as grandstanding. That standing up for women is not about attacking men but making them advocates for change too.

The position of Governor General is proscribed by formal duties and many believe it is not about rocking the boat, but the incumbent can bring a distinct flavour of their own to the job (Sir William Deane is a good example).

What we observed in Quentin Bryce was not only a woman leader but a woman leading for women. It’s not enough to tell women they should aspire to decision-making and leadership roles – they have to believe they can do them too.

That’s why it was so important to see Quentin Bryce go about her job with confidence and make an impact that leaves a strong legacy.

It’s a reminder of what can happen when the doors to the top finally begin to open a little wider. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait as long for more examples to emerge right across society.

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