Kirsty Sword Gusmão

Kirsty Sword Gusmão, (born Kirsty Sword; 19 April 1966 ) is an Australian-East Timorese activist who served as the First Lady of East Timor from 2002 until 2007. She was married to Xanana Gusmão, former prime minister and president of East Timor, though they separated in 2015. which seeks to improve the lives of women in Timor-Leste,

Early years and education Sword was born in 1966 in Melbourne, Australia, to schoolteachers Brian and Rosalie Sword, and was raised there and in Bendigo. She attended Eaglehawk Primary School, where her father was the principal and her mother a music teacher in the 1970s. She was a promising ballet dancer, but decided not to pursue it as a career. As a teen, Sword travelled to Bali and Jakarta with her father and brother. In 1985, while studying Indonesian at Monash, Sword met Timor-Leste students and took up their struggle for independence.

From resistance activist to First Lady Sword finally met Xanana Gusmão face to face in December 1994 while he was serving a 20-year sentence in Jakarta's Cipinang prison for leading the East Timorese resistance group FRETILIN. From May 2002 to May 2007, Xanana was President of Timor-Leste and Sword Gusmão was its First Lady. On 1 November 2003, she published an autobiography entitled A Woman of Independence. In May 2007, Xanana declined to run for another term as President, and was succeeded by his prime minister, José Ramos-Horta, Xanana became Prime Minister on 8 August. In October, Sword Gusmão was appointed to the honorary position of Goodwill Ambassador for Education of Timor-Leste by Ramos-Horta.

On 11 February 2008, national television reported that the motorcade of Gusmão had come under gunfire one hour after President Ramos-Horta was shot in the stomach; according to the Associated Press, the two incidents raised the possibility of a coup attempt. During the assassination attempts, Sword Gusmão was protecting her children from gunmen stalking their home. Also being sheltered was another woman and her four children, upon contacting Xanana by mobile phone Sword Gusmão heard he was under gunfire.

After 15 years of marriage, it was announced in March 2015 that Sword Gusmão and her husband were separating. She now lives in Melbourne with the couple's three sons.

Awards On 14 May 2014, Sword Gusmão was admitted to the degree of Doctor of the University (honoris causa) by Victoria University for her community service in championing the importance of education and improving the lives of women and children in Timor-Leste.

In June 2015, Sword Gusmão was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) "For distinguished service to Australia-Timor-Leste relations through the development of mutual cooperation and understanding, particularly in the education sector, and as an advocate for improved health and living conditions for the Timorese people."