Not Always Diplomatic: An Australian Woman’s Journey through International Affairs

Diplomacy and positions of political leadership have long been regarded as a man’s world. Nevertheless, from the late nineteenth century and throughout the twentieth, the modern world witnessed unprecedented societal changes with regards to women’s participation in politics, from gaining voting rights to getting elected to office, and women are increasingly navigating traditionally male-dominated environments such as diplomacy and politics. Sue Boyd’s memoir Not Always Diplomatic: An Australian Woman’s Journey through Inter- national Affairs gives a fascinating account of the challenges faced by Boyd and other women joining the Australian foreign service in the second half of the twen- tieth century, and of the ground-breaking work done by this generation of women in achieving positions of power throughout Australian society.