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Gloria Julia King

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Gloria Julia King
Member of the Parliament of Vanuatu
Assumed office
October 13, 2022
ConstituencyEfate
Personal details
Political partyUnion of Moderate Parties

Gloria Julia King is a footballer, businesswoman, and politician in Vanuatu. In 2022, she was elected to the Parliament of Vanuatu. She is only the sixth woman in the country to become a member of Parliament.

Biography

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Gloria Julia King is Ni-Vanuatu from the Vanuatuan islet of Mele.[1] She is a former member of the Vanuatu women's national football team and represented Vanuatu at the 2003 South Pacific Games.[2][3][4] She has since served as a football coach and manager, and as the chef de mission for the Vanuatuan delegation at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.[3][4][5] Also a businesswoman, she runs a company selling kava, a popular and ritually important beverage.[6][7]

King first became involved in politics when she joined efforts to establish a village water system in Mele.[2]

In the 2022 Vanuatuan general election, she ran for a seat in the rural Efate constituency as a candidate from the Union of Moderate Parties.[2][3][6][8] Her campaign included a commitment to improve opportunities for women in business.[2][6] She was elected with 1,618 votes, becoming only the sixth woman to become a member of Parliament in Vanuatu, and the first in 14 years.[2][3][6]

King currently serves as the only woman in the 52-member Parliament, and she was the first woman to hold the position of third deputy speaker, a position she lost during the 2023 political shakeup.[3][9][10][11][12]

References

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  1. ^ Morris, Doddy (2022-11-01). "I Am Representing All Women in Parliament: King". Vanuatu Daily Post. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  2. ^ a b c d e Keck, Madeleine (2022-10-26). "Vanuatu Elects Gloria Julia King to Parliament, First Woman MP in 14 Years". Global Citizen. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  3. ^ a b c d e Collins, Jessica (2023-08-24). "Pacific Change Makers - Vanuatu MP Gloria Julia King on women, sport, and politics". Lowy Institute. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  4. ^ a b "Women's football invites all to first game". Vanuatu Daily Post. 2017-12-04. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  5. ^ Tiriman, Caroline (2023-01-01). "How a trip to Birmingham inspired Vanuatu's Gloria Julia King to run for office". ABC Pacific. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  6. ^ a b c d "Times have changed, says Vanuatu's first woman MP in 14 years". France 24. 2022-10-27. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  7. ^ Roy, Eleanor Ainge; Jong, Eleanor de (2017-11-23). "Vanuatu leads push to make narcotic drink kava a worldwide favourite". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  8. ^ Roberts, Anita (2022-10-18). "UMP secures three seats on Efate Rural". Vanuatu Daily Post. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  9. ^ Anthony, Kelvin (2023-08-23). "Vanuatu MP hopes political impasse can be resolved to kick-start recovery". RNZ. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  10. ^ Kalsakau, Kizzy (2022-11-04). "Another Glass Ceiling Shattered by King". Vanuatu Daily Post. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  11. ^ Kalsakau, Kizzy (2022-11-04). "VNCW Applauds First Female Third Deputy Speaker". Vanuatu Daily Post. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  12. ^ "'Kava time' change of govt took ni-Vanuatu by surprise, says academic". Vanuatu Daily Post. 2023-09-08. Retrieved 2023-11-16.