Julia Gillard opens up on her ‘unusual relationship’ with Rihanna
They are the most unlikely of friends, however it seems Julia Gillard and Rihanna have more in common than you would think. The former prime minister recently recruited the pop singer as an ambassador to improve education around the world.
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They are the most unlikely of friends, however it seems Julia Gillard and Rihanna have more in common than you would think.
The pair are on a mission to improve access to education in the world’s most disadvantaged countries, with Gillard, the honorary chairwoman for the Global Partnership for Education recruiting Rihanna as an ambassador.
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It was in 2016, while spending time with the pop superstar visiting schools in the African nation of Malawi, that Gillard learnt the pair shared a common goal of getting every child into a classroom and learning.
“I know ours is an unusual relationship,” the former Australian prime minister tells Vogue Australia in its May edition about her friendship with Rihanna, who was born into a troubled family in Barbados in 1988.
“We are from very different worlds and we’re very different ages; her childhood was very different to my upbringing in Adelaide and the world of politics is not something she has deeply immersed herself in.
“Likewise, no one would ever mistake me for a rock’n’roller or a pop icon. But despite all those differences I’ve found Rihanna is very easy to be around, and very easy to have a conversation with. I’ve learnt things from her about her world I didn’t know, so it’s been a fascinating insight for me.”
“We’ve had some really interesting conversations and clearly since spending time with her, I’ve become a fan. Not only of the music, but more importantly a fan of her work and
the efforts she’s prepared to make to uplift the education of every child around the world.“
Vogue Australia’s May edition goes on sale on Monday. Go to vogue.com.au.
Originally published as Julia Gillard opens up on her ‘unusual relationship’ with Rihanna
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