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Factsheet:
Women in leadership
Women continue to be under-represented in leadership and decision making roles.
Increasing women’s representation at the highest levels of community, government and business in national, regional and international forums is important for achieving gender equality. It is equally important that women leaders working to improve their communities in diverse settings are supported.
Commissioner Broderick will promote the importance of women's representation in leadership and decision making roles across the community, government and business, with a particular focus on Indigenous women.
This will include promoting and facilitating opportunities for women to have their voices heard at a national, regional and international level. The Commissioner will also encourage dialogue between Indigenous women and corporate Australia.
Statistics
- For the top 200 companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange at 1 February 2006, women held only 8.7 per cent of board directorships.
- Women make up 25 per cent of the House of Representatives in the Parliament of Australia.1
- In the 2008 Queen’s Birthday Honours List, there were only four women out of 30 recipients who received awards in the top two categories.
- In the Federal Court of Australia, women make up only 13 per cent of the bench.2
Quotes from Listening Tour participants
- “We need more women in the senior positions so the negotiations can be fairer, woman to woman.”
Salisbury City community consultation participant
- “Our [CEO] has publicly said he would have 50 per cent women in his workforce if he could. But then he also… set up an executive structure that is going to hinder his ability to get women into those senior positions.”
Women’s focus group
[1] Parliament of Australia, Women in the Current (42nd) Parliament, Parliamentary Library, http://www.aph.gov.au/library/parl/42/womennow, viewed 17 July 2008.
[2] Federal Court of Australia, List of current judges, http://www.fedcourt.gov.au/aboutct/jj_alpha.html, viewed 17 July 2008.
