# Minister for Women (Australia)

The Minister for Women in the Government of Australia is Katy Gallagher, who since 23 May 2022 has been a member of the Albanese ministry. Ministers holding the position, first introduced in 1976 during the Second Fraser ministry, have held several different titles. They have often held other portfolios, and sometimes sat in Cabinet of Australia. All but the first two office-holders have been women.

## History

A women's affairs branch was established within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in 1976. Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser announced he wished to "have formal machinery set up for the co-ordination of government activity in women's affairs". He appointed Tony Street as the first Minister Assisting the Prime Minister in Women’s Affairs; Street and his successor Ian Macphee are the only men to have held the post. Senator Margaret Guilfoyle, the only female minister at the time (and one of only six women in parliament), declined the position, as she was unwilling to be pigeonholed into portfolios that were considered "women's work".

## Scope

In the Government of Australia, the Minister administers the portfolio through the Office for Women within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, with the budget being administered through the Department of Social Services. Currently, the Minister works with other Government Ministers to ensure that women's issues and gender equality are taken into consideration in policy and program development and implementation. The Office for Women supports the Minister in this role, and is the central source of advice for Government agencies on the impact of Government policies and programmes for Australian women.

## List of ministers

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Women, or any of its precedent titles:
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | Tony Street | Liberal | Fraser | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister in Women’s Affairs | 16 August 1976 (1976-08-16) | 8 November 1976 (1976-11-08) | 84 days |
| 2 | Ian Macphee | Liberal | Fraser | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister in Women’s Affairs | 8 November 1976 (1976-11-08) | 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) | 1 year, 42 days |
| 3 | Susan Ryan | Labor | Hawke | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women | 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) | 19 January 1988 (1988-01-19) | 4 years, 314 days |
| 4 | Margaret Reynolds | Labor | Hawke | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women | 19 January 1988 (1988-01-19) | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 2 years, 75 days |
| 5 | Wendy Fatin | Labor | Hawke | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 2 years, 354 days |
| 5 | Wendy Fatin | Labor | Keating | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) | 2 years, 354 days |
| 6 | Rosemary Crowley | Labor | Keating | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women | 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) | 23 December 1993 (1993-12-23) | 274 days |
| 7 | Ros Kelly | Labor | Keating | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women | 23 December 1993 (1993-12-23) | 1 March 1994 (1994-03-01) | 68 days |
| 8 | Carmen Lawrence | Labor | Keating | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women | 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 1 year, 352 days |
| 9 | Jocelyn Newman | Liberal | Howard | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 9 October 1997 (1997-10-09) | 1 year, 212 days |
| 10 | Judi Moylan | Liberal | Howard | Minister for the Status of Women | 9 October 1997 (1997-10-09) | 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) | 1 year, 12 days |
| n/a | Jocelyn Newman | Liberal | Howard | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women | 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) | 30 January 2001 (2001-01-30) | 2 years, 101 days |
| 11 | Amanda Vanstone | Liberal | Howard | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women | 30 January 2001 (2001-01-30) | 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) | 2 years, 250 days |
| 12 | Kay Patterson | Liberal | Howard | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women | 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) | 26 October 2004 (2004-10-26) | 2 years, 112 days |
| 12 | Kay Patterson | Liberal | Howard | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues | 26 October 2004 (2004-10-26) | 27 January 2006 (2006-01-27) | 2 years, 112 days |
| 13 | Julie Bishop | Liberal | Howard | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues | 27 January 2006 (2006-01-27) | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 1 year, 310 days |
| 14 | Tanya Plibersek | Labor | Rudd | Minister for the Status of Women | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 2 years, 285 days |
| 14 | Tanya Plibersek | Labor | Gillard | Minister for the Status of Women | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) | 2 years, 285 days |
| 15 | Kate Ellis | Labor | Gillard | Minister for the Status of Women | 15 September 2010 (2010-09-15) | 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) | 1 year, 90 days |
| 16 | Julie Collins | Labor | Gillard | Minister for the Status of Women | 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) | 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) | 1 year, 278 days |
| 16 | Julie Collins | Labor | Rudd | Minister for the Status of Women | 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 1 year, 278 days |
| 17 | Michaelia Cash | Liberal | Abbott | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 4 years, 93 days |
| 17 | Michaelia Cash | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women | 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) | 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) | 4 years, 93 days |
| 17 | Michaelia Cash | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Women | 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 4 years, 93 days |
| 18 | Kelly O'Dwyer | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Women | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 24 August 2018 (2018-08-24) | 1 year, 112 days |
| 18 | Kelly O'Dwyer | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Women | 24 August 2018 (2018-08-24) | 11 April 2019 (2019-04-11) | 1 year, 112 days |
| 19 | Marise Payne | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Women | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 22 May 2022 (2022-05-22) | 5 years, 177 days |
| 20 | Katy Gallagher | Labor | Albanese | Minister for Women | 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) | Incumbent | 2 years, 183 days |