Women and Leadership
Women continue to be under-represented in leadership and decision making roles across nearly all spheres of Australian life.
- 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.1
- Women make up only 25% of the House of Representatives in the Parliament of Australia.
- 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% of the bench.
- In the 2007 Global Gender Gap Report, released by the World Economic Forum, Australia ranked 35th for women’s political empowerment.2
Increasing women’s representation at the most senior levels is important for achieving gender equality. However, it is equally important to resource and support women working to achieve change in their communities – women found everywhere across Australia.
What is Commissioner Broderick’s plan for women and leadership?
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.
Recent speeches and media
- Women and Leadership, Elizabeth Broderick, Sex Discrimination Commissioner, at 2008 Australian Regional Women Leaders Convention, Melbourne, 19 November 2008
- New Governor General takes Australia forward towards true gender equality, 5 September 2008
- Best practice in workplace culture for the attraction and retention of women
Elizabeth Broderick, Sex Discrimination Commissioner, NSW Public Sector Senior Women's Network Seminar, 24 June 2008 - Women’s achievements: untold stories
Elizabeth Broderick, Sex Discrimination Commissioner, - Black and White Women of Achievement Lunch, 17 June 2008 - Profession should be re-engineered to help women reach the top
Published in The Australian, 8 February 2008 - National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Gathering
Elizabeth Broderick, Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Hobart, 23 May 2008
Related links
- Women applaud Indigenous Australia
- EOWA Australian Census of Women in Leadership
- Global Gender Gap Report, World Economic Forum
- New Zealand Census of Women’s Participation
- UK Equality and Human Rights Commission: Sex and Power 2008
- Catalyst
