Kirsty Sword Gusmão facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kirsty Sword Gusmão
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Sword Gusmão accepting a plaque aboard the USS Reuben James (FFG-57) in 2010
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| First Lady of East Timor | |
| In role 20 May 2002 – 20 May 2007 |
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| President | Xanana Gusmão |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Ana Pessoa Pinto |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Kirsty Sword
19 April 1966 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Nationality | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 sons |
| Parents | Brian Sword and Rosalie Sword |
| Education |
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| Alma mater |
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| Occupation | Administrative secretary, teacher, researcher, interpreter, political activist |
| Known for | First Lady of East Timor |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of Australia |
Kirsty Sword Gusmão, born Kirsty Sword on 19 April 1966, is an Australian-East Timorese activist. She served as the First Lady of East Timor from 2002 to 2007. She was married to Xanana Gusmão, who was a former prime minister and president of East Timor. They separated in 2015. Kirsty Sword Gusmão is also the founder of the Alola Foundation. This organization works to improve the lives of women in Timor-Leste.
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Early Life and Education
Kirsty Sword was born in 1966 in Melbourne, Australia. Her parents, Brian and Rosalie Sword, were schoolteachers. She grew up in Melbourne and Bendigo. She attended Eaglehawk Primary School, where her father was the principal. Her mother taught music there in the 1970s.
Kirsty learned her first words in Indonesian from her father when she was four years old. She was a talented ballet dancer but chose not to become a professional. As a teenager, she traveled to Bali and Jakarta with her father and brother. After attending Golden Square Secondary College, she studied at Monash University and the University of Melbourne in the 1980s. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors, focusing on Indonesian and Italian. She also received a Diploma of Education. In 1985, while studying Indonesian, Kirsty met students from Timor-Leste. She became interested in their fight for independence. Her father, Brian, passed away in 1998.
Career and Activism
Kirsty Sword worked as an administrative secretary for the Overseas Service Bureau until 1991. She then joined the Refugee Studies Program at Oxford University in England. Later that year, she traveled to East Timor. She worked as a researcher and interpreter for a documentary film. The film was about the political and social events in the territory.
From 1992 to 1996, Kirsty lived and worked in Jakarta, Indonesia. She taught English and worked as a humanitarian aid worker. She also campaigned for human rights. During this time, she secretly became an activist and spy for the Timor-Leste (East Timorese) resistance against Indonesian rule. Her secret name for the resistance was Ruby Blade. Later, Xanana Gusmão changed it to Mukya, which means "fragrant."
Some people criticized her for revealing her secret activities. They worried it might make it harder for aid workers to operate freely. However, Kirsty stated that her employer knew about her actions. She said she was simply an individual acting on her conscience.
From Activist to First Lady
Kirsty Sword first met Xanana Gusmão in person in December 1994. At that time, he was in Jakarta's Cipinang prison. He was serving a 20-year sentence for leading the East Timorese resistance group FRETILIN. Their first contact was when she taught him English by mail starting in 1992. She managed to get into the prison by pretending to visit an uncle.
Xanana was released from prison in 1999. He and Kirsty married the following year in Dili. They lived in independent Timor-Leste with their three sons. In 2001, Sword Gusmão brought attention to the issue of helping victims of difficult situations in East Timor. She also started the Alola Foundation. From May 2002 to May 2007, Xanana was the President of Timor-Leste. During this time, Kirsty Sword Gusmão served as its First Lady. In November 2003, she published her life story called A Woman of Independence.
During the 2006 East Timorese crisis, Kirsty Sword Gusmão gave interviews to the media. She also met Australian troops on behalf of her husband, who was unable to move due to back pain. In May 2007, Xanana decided not to run for president again. His prime minister, José Ramos-Horta, became the next president. Xanana then became Prime Minister on 8 August. In October, President Ramos-Horta appointed Sword Gusmão as the honorary Goodwill Ambassador for Education of Timor-Leste.
On 11 February 2008, national television reported that Xanana Gusmão's car convoy came under gunfire. This happened an hour after President Ramos-Horta was shot. These events suggested a possible attempted coup. During these attacks, Sword Gusmão protected her children from gunmen near their home. Another woman and her four children were also sheltering with them. When Sword Gusmão called Xanana on his phone, she heard he was under gunfire. The Gusmão family was reunited after negotiations between her guards and the gunmen. Despite the risks, Sword Gusmão decided to stay in Timor-Leste.
Personal Life
In early 2013, it was reported that Sword Gusmão had received treatment for breast cancer.
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 their three sons.
Awards and Recognition
On 14 May 2014, Victoria University awarded Kirsty Sword Gusmão an honorary degree. This was for her community service in promoting education. It also recognized her work in 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). This award recognized her important service to Australia-Timor-Leste relations. It honored her work in developing cooperation and understanding, especially in education. It also recognized her efforts to improve health and living conditions for the Timorese people.
