To be fair, both Campbell and Gillard strongly supported abortion rights for women, and Campbell, as justice minister, protected women with updated rape laws. So Campbell was a red tory, and Gillard was overall right leaning in a centrist party in a political system which is strongly right leaning as far as I understand Australian politics. Both women were seen as open, direct, and honest. Gillard gave a very strong speech about the role of misogyny in Australian politics and how it has been used against her.

All this aside, it still begs the question why women still have an extremely difficult time being elected to the highest political office, never mind being reelected?

Women are literally 50% of the population. Since winning the right to hold the highest political office in UK, CA, AU, DE, and the US, only 5 of 117 people have been women — UK 2 of 25; Canada 1 of 19; Australia 1 0f 29; 1 of 27; US 0 of 17.

Why is it so difficult to find the right woman or any woman for the job?