Sustaining the Gender Balance on Australian Government Boards The Australian Government is continuing work towards a gender diversity target where women hold at least 40 per cent of Australian Government board positions. Equally, 40 per cent of these positions are to be held by men, and the remaining 20 per cent can be held by either gender. Demonstrated suitability and merit remains the driving principle of all appointment processes and diversity policy, as well as ensuring Government board positions are filled by the best candidates Australia has to offer. The Government has shown its commitment to fuelling the leadership pipeline with strong, confident and capable women, by partnering with a range of world class organisations. The Government is partnering with the Australian Institute of Company Directors to deliver the Board Diversity Scholarship programme. The programme has been significantly expanded, contributing $650,000 over two years to deliver 140 scholarships to targeted groups of women. A partnership between the Government and the Australian Mines and Metals Association has also been established to deliver the Australian Women in Resources Alliances E-mentoring programme. The Government is providing $440,000 over two years to the programme, which will support talented women in the mining and resources sector to advance their careers through mentoring and technical training. While Government has a vital role to play in boosting women’s representation in leadership and participation in the workforce general, it cannot work alone. Continued action and innovation from business is essential to boosting the presence of women at all levels of an organisation, specifically in leadership and decision making roles. The Government recognises the many initiatives underway in the business sector to promote women in leadership. For example in 2013, the Business Council of Australia set a target of 50 per cent female representation in all senior management roles in their member organisations within a decade. The Male Champions of Change initiative – established in 2010 by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Ms Elizabeth Broderick – comprises 21 men in November 2014 in senior leadership positions from business and the public sector, who are dedicated to advocating for the improved representation of women in leadership positions. The Government is also providing practical assistance to improve women’s representation on Australian Government boards, including through the BoardLinks Programme.
Employment 26 8 18 30.8 69.2 Environment 35 10 25 28.6 71.4 Finance 9 4 5 44.4 55.6 Foreign Affairs and Trade 50 21 29 42 58 Health 99 48 51 48.5 51.5 Human Services 3 2 1 66.7 33.3 Immigration and Border Protection 2 0 2 0 100 Industry 42 15 27 35.7 64.3 Infrastructure and Regional Development 27 9 18 33.3 66.7 Prime Minister and Cabinet 87 21 66 24.1 75.9 Social Services 50 24 26 48 52 Treasury 35 13 22 37.1 62.9 Veterans’ Affairs 31 11 20 35.5 64.5 TOTAL 639 233 391 36.5 63.5 Chair and Deputy Chair Roles Even with the change in the number of Australian Government boards and active positions on these boards, the proportion of women who hold either Chair or Deputy Chair positions on Australian Government boards has remained relatively constant. This data does not include Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director or Managing Director positions. Table 3: Gender Balance of Chair and Deputy Chair Roles Year (at 30 June) Total Chair/Deputy Chair Positions Number of Women Number of Men % Women % Men 2014 455 140 315 30.8 69.2 2013 537 167 370 31.1 68.9 2012 540 147 393 27.2 72.8 2012 and 2013 data supplied by the ABS