The Hon Julie Soso-Akeke MP is the first woman in Papua New Guinea's history to be elected to the position of Governor. She is also the first woman ever to be elected to National Parliament in a Highlands province. Her election follows three previous unsuccessful attempts to enter the Papua New Guinea National Parliament in 1997, 2002 and 2007. Soso-Akeke is a member of Papua New Guinea's Triumph Heritage Empowerment (THE) Party.

In 2012, Soso-Akeke participated in the Australian Government funded Papua New Guinea Women's Political Candidates Training, developed by the Australian Centre for Democratic Institutions in partnership with the Papua New Guinea Office for the Development of Women and the UN Development Program.