Julie-Ann Guivarra (born in Cairns) is an Australian diplomat who was the first Indigenous person to serve as a senior executive in the Australian Foreign Ministry and the first Indigenous woman to represent Australia as an ambassador, serving as Ambassador to Spain from 2018 to 2020[1] with non-resident accreditation to Andorra and Equatorial Guinea.[2] In May 2020, she was appointed as Australia's Ambassador for Gender Equality.[3]

Early life and education

Guivarra was born in Cairns and is of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage.[1] Her great-grandfather was a Filipino pearl diver who married a Torres Strait Islander.[4] She was the first in her family to go to university,[1] earning a bachelor's degree in Commerce at James Cook University[1] and a Master of Arts (Foreign Affairs and Trade) from Monash University.[2]

Career

Guivarra began working for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade after finishing university in 1997.[1] She held assistant secretary and director roles and served in Geneva as a counsellor at the World Trade Organization.[3] She was posted to India and worked on trade policy in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations.[4] She also served as Assistant Secretary of the South East Asia Analytical and Effectiveness Branch.[5]

In 2018, Guivarra was appointed Australia's ambassador to Spain, Andorra, and Equatorial Guinea.[5] She finished in the role in January 2020 and was replaced by Sophia McIntyre.[6][7]

In March 2020, on International Women's Day, Foreign Affairs Minister and Minister for Women Marise Payne announced the appointed of Guivarra as Ambassador for Gender Equality,[4][3] the fourth person to hold the role after it was created in 2011.[8] The purpose of the role is to ensure that gender equality and empowerment of women and girls is a "key focus of Australia’s diplomatic, development, and regional security efforts".[3]

Publications

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Blanco, Claudianna (12 July 2019). "From Cairns to Madrid: The first female Indigenous ambassador takes her charm to Spain". Special Broadcasting Services Radio. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Our Ambassador". Australian Embassy Spain. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Jenkins, Shannon (9 March 2020). "First Indigenous woman to represent Australia as ambassador takes gender equality role". The Mandarin. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Conley Tyler, Melissa; Liu, Tiffany (2 June 2020). "Indigenous diplomats and Australia-Asia engagement: an interview with Julie-Ann Guivarra, ambassador for gender equality". The Mandarin. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Ambassador for Gender Equality". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
  6. ^ "Sophia McIntyre, Australia's new ambassador to Spain". The Diplomat. 21 July 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Australia appoints new ambassador to Spain". Mirage News. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Ambassadors for Gender Equality: Who They Are, What They Do, and Why They Matter". Council on Foreign Relations. 13 May 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
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