Julie Bishop

Minister for Foreign Affairs & Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party

It’s five years since she became Australia’s first female Foreign Minister and almost 20 since she made her first speech in Parliament, and today Julie Bishop is probably the most powerful woman in Australia. Raised on a cherry farm in South Australia, Julie says the qualities that have got her where she is today are “resilience, determination and a belief in what I can achieve if I set my mind to it” – which she learned from her mum, Isabel. She’s faced moments of self-doubt constantly and at these times says you have to, “trust your own judgement and don’t let others define you. Only you know what you can do ... I have met many young women here and overseas who have been extraordinary in their ability to overcome challenges and make the most of opportunities. It’s inspiring to see what empowered young women can do, and that’s what these awards are all about.”

TV presenter and journalist

Lisa Wilkinson believes that “there has never been a better time to be a woman than right now”. She is reflecting on #Time’sUp, #MeToo, and her own public stand for equal pay, which heralded a move to Network Ten’s The Project. “In the last 12 months, we’ve learnt just how powerful we can be when we come together for a common good,” she says. A longtime Women of the Future Awards judge, Lisa is thrilled to be back. “There’s a beautiful humility and gratitude and honesty to Australian women,” she says. “We must remember to embrace those qualities, embrace each other, and reject the sometimes inbuilt self-criticism and criticism of others. We become the best version of ourselves when we forgive ourselves and others.”