Justin Trudeau: Gender Equality Adviser

FOLLOW subscribe SEND TIP July 6, 2017 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Dublin on Tuesday as one of the first world leaders to meet with Ireland’s new Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who was elected last month. One item on the agenda was gender equality. According to the Irish Examiner, Varadkar said he was “very impressed” by Trudeau’s record on gender equality in his government, and sought input from the Canadian PM on the issue. “I am always of the view that diversity leads to better decision-making,” Varadkar said. His Canadian counterpart famously appointed a gender-balanced cabinet when he took office in 2015 and he’s maintained that parity in subsequent reshuffles. In explaining why he selected an equal number of men and women as ministers after being elected, Trudeau said flatly : “Because it’s 2015.” Varadkar’s own background gives him a unique perspective on diversity and inclusivity. Not only is he Ireland’s youngest-ever prime minister, he’s also its first openly-gay leader and its first premier of Indian descent. "Diversity is about more than gender,” he said, “but diversity in general leads to better decision-making and we should try to have a government and parliament that looks like the country that it represents. I did seek some advice from Justin on this because I am very impressed by the fact that he has a cabinet that is gender-balanced." Varadkar could certainly use Trudeau’s help on this front. When the Irish PM picked his cabinet in June, he selected three women among his 19 ministers of state, and just six of his 34 ministers in government are female. –@clairezillman . EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA Taking flight? The Guardian reports that EasyJet CEO Carolyn McCall, No. 22 on Fortune's MPW International list, is the leading candidate to take over as chief executive of British broadcaster ITV. McCall has strong media credentials having risen through the ranks of the Guardian Media Group to become CEO prior to taking the helm of the airline.  Guardian . Out of fashion The turmoil at British Vogue continues as deputy editor Emily Sheffield announced that she's leaving the publication "after a very happy decade." Sheffield, sister of former U.K. first lady Samantha Cameron, was considered a contender for the top job that went to Edward Enninful, whose official start date in August has been preceded by a series of high-profile exits. The London Times . Robotics refusal Reuters has a deeper dive into the U.S.'s decision to ban Afghanistan's all-female robotics team from entering the country. Two girls from the team say they are mystified by the decision since the contest's organizers said teams from Iran and Sudan as well as a de facto Syrian team had obtained visas. Those latter three countries are covered by the Trump administration's travel ban. "We still don't know the reason why we were not granted visas, because other countries participating in the competition have been given visas," says 14-year-old team member Fatemah Qaderyan. The State Department told Reuters it won't discuss individual visa cases. Reuters . THE AMERICAS Class is in session A first-of-its-kind course at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business will teach would-be entrepreneurs how to prevent bias from creeping into job descriptions and performance reviews, and how to promote stronger feelings of inclusivity that can improve worker performance and retention, notably among women and minorities. Wall Street Journal . Writing a new strategy Longtime Republican digital strategist Mindy Finn ran alongside independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin as his vice presidential pick in November's general election. After losing that contest and experiencing the first few months of President Donald Trump's presidency, Finn says she's considering leaving the GOP and Washington, D.C., altogether. "Donald Trump's Republican Party is not a party I recognize," she says. Politico . content from Accenture Impact outside work Effective leadership means understanding the impact you can have on others, says Accenture Group Chief Executive Debra Polishook. She serves on the board of NYC's Back on My Feet, which helps homeless people through disciplined running. WATCH THE VIDEO . ASIA-PACIFIC Cautionary tale Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, recently named head of mental health organization Beyondblue, has urged caution as commentators have raised questions about President Donald Trump's mental health based on his tweets. "I would worry that a charge of being mentally ill ended up being thrown around as an insult," said Gillard. She did add, though, that such dialogue will continue so long as Trump keeps up his erratic Twitter behavior. Australian . Parallel paths Law and technology journalist Sarah Jeong, born in South Korea, explains the "surreal" experience of becoming a U.S. citizen while reporting on Trump's travel ban. Vox . A Tweet backfires U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley faced immediate backlash on Tuesday after complaining via Twitter that North Korea's missile test had forced her to spend her entire Independence Day holiday in meetings. Commentators were quick to point out that making such sacrifices is a fundamental part of her high-profile job. Haley said on Wednesday that the U.S. will use its "considerable military forces" on North Korea "if we must." Hill . IN BRIEF France will bury abortion rights champion Simone Veil as a 'national hero' Fortune A conservative Christian battle over gender Atlantic Conservative U.K. MP Sarah Wollaston tells of abuse during election Guardian People don't view black girls as children, even when they're as young as 5 Vice Meet Kazakhstan's 78-year-old rapping babushka BBC . . PARTING WORDS "Some people do Botox, others drink vitamin elixirs. Me? I'm old-school: sunshine, rainbows, and peace, baby. Love keeps you young." —Instagram star Helen Van Winkle, 88, who goes by 'Baddiewinkle' in her new book. . EMAIL Claire Zillman subscribe share: . This message has been sent to you because you are currently subscribed to The World's Most Powerful Women Unsubscribe here Please read our Privacy Policy, or copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.fortune.com/privacy All products and services featured are based solely on editorial selection. 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