Source: The Monthly Magazine, edition May 2014 Page 18-23 Throughout Australia’s history, Tony Abbott is the first Prime Minister who has restrained the progress of Australian women. It began a day after Abbott’s victory in the election, when he announced a 19-member cabinet with just one woman, the lowest level of female representation since 2001. Subsequently, in January 2014, Dame Quentin Bryce, the 25th Governor General of Australia and the first woman to hold the position, was replaced by former Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Sir Peter Cosgrove. In my opinion, the Gender issue is such a complex discourse not only in Australia, but also in all countries today. Gender equality in education, politics, employment, and health are still just? concepts and are not seriously implemented by the government. The United Nations has forced all its member states to make responsive-gender programs their national priority. However, just a few countries do so. For example in Indonesia, there is a regulation of 30% female representation in the legislative house and a responsive-gender program has been implemented in the national budget allocation since 2009, but it is just an obligation with little real action, although I found there has been a gradual development of gender equality during the last few years and perhaps it will be continued by the new elected president. When we talk about gender topics in Australia, in fact, there is a reduction of gender equality enforcement in this country. It is proved by the World Economic Forum Report 2013 which puts Australia in 24th position on the gender gap index, slipping ten spots from its 2006 position. Even though Australia receives a first place in education ranking, it comes at 69th for health and 43rd for political empowerment. Two women were once at the top of the state hierarchy, i.e. Julia Gillard as Prime Minister and Quentin Bryce as Governor General, but this was no help at all in improving the gender gap. Australia is left behind by the Scandinavian States, neighboring-state New Zealand, and even by several Asian and African countries. The Abbott Government is likely to continue this ignorant gender policy, and Abbott has been heavily criticized for appointing just one female, Julie Bishop, to his ministry. LFN