The three female defense ministers of France, Japan and Australia, who are present at the Shangri-La Dialogue, are all experienced women and are known to be tough in their countries' military circles.
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| French Defense Minister Sylvie Goulard (center) inspects an honor guard of French anti-terrorism forces in Africa during a visit to Mali with the French president on May 19. She is one of three female defense ministers attending the Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri La Dialogue, taking place in Singapore. Photo: AFP/Getty. |
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| French Defense Minister Sylvie Goulard (center) meets French soldiers on duty at the Eiffel Tower in Paris on May 20. Goulard graduated in law from the University of Aix-en-Provence. She then went on to study at Sciences Po and the Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA) in Paris. Goulard, 52, has been a member of the Council of Europe since 2009 and was one of the first supporters of new French President Emmanuel Macron. Photo: AFP/Getty. |
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| The female minister visited the Directorate General for Armaments (DGA) in Bruz, near Rennes, western France, on May 30. Ms. Goulard is fluent in three foreign languages: English, German and Italian. She was appointed by Mr. Macron as defense minister on May 17. Speaking at the Asia Security Summit on June 3, Ms. Goulard raised the security consequences of climate change and expressed disappointment with US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. Photo: AFP/Getty. |
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| (From left to right) Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida attend a joint press conference after their meeting at the Iikura Guest House in Tokyo, Japan, March 20. Inada is one of three female defense ministers attending this year's Shangri La Dialogue. Photo: Asahi Shimbun. |
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| Defense Minister Tomomi Inada attends a meeting of the Upper House of the Diet at the National Diet building in Tokyo, Japan, on March 14. Inada, born in 1959, graduated from Waseda University's Faculty of Law. She was appointed defense minister in August last year. Photo: Asahi Shimbun. |
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| Inada inspects the honor guard after her graduation ceremony at the National Defense Academy of Japan in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan, on March 19. Before being elected to the House of Representatives, Inada was a lawyer. She has held various positions in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet and shares his hardline views. Speaking at a security summit in Singapore, Minister Tomomi Inada welcomed the US presence in the region and its tough stance on North Korea. Photo: Asahi Shimbun. |
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| Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne speaks during a plenary session at the 16th Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore on June 3. Minister Payne called on China to use its influence to rein in North Korea, and affirmed that Australia will continue to work closely with the US and other partners to exert diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea. Photo: AFP/Getty. |
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| French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (2nd right) and Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne (2nd left) during a meeting in Sydney, Australia, on December 19, 2016 to discuss the submarine purchase contract. Ms. Payne has a bachelor's degree in law and arts from the University of New South Wales. She served as a political adviser to a number of important figures before being elected to the Senate. She has held many important positions on parliamentary and government committees. Photo: AFP/Getty. |
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| Marise Payne and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (center) at a press conference at Avalon Airport in Geelong, Australia on March 3. Payne was promoted to Cabinet and appointed as Defence Minister in the Turnbull government on September 21, 2015. She is Australia's first female Defence Minister. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty. |
According to Zing
