2024 marks 50 years since the establishment of a centralised women’s policy function in the Australian Public Service – the area now known as the Office for Women (OFW).
The milestone was marked with an event held at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) at Old Parliament House on 1 November 2024 attended by Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, Minister for Women, current OFW staff and members of PM&C, along with former heads of OFW and members of the women’s sector. The event was an opportunity to acknowledge the many important achievements of OFW over the past half-century and reflect on the substantial work still to be done in pursuit of gender equality.
Her Excellency the Hon Sam Mostyn AC, Governor General of Australia opened the event with a virtual address and Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher, Minister for Women, delivered the keynote presentation.
Former OFW leaders Dr Anne Summers AO and Sally Moyle addressed the gathering – discussing past milestones and acknowledging the work ahead.
Executive Director of the Office for Women Padma Raman said
“This milestone is important to the Office for Women – but it’s equally a time to celebrate and express gratitude to the women, communities and organisations that share our commitment to gender equality. It is a privilege to work alongside our many incredible allies.”
Among the attendees was Sophie Cusworth, CEO of Women with Disabilities Australia, who praised the Office for Women for its ongoing work:
“The Office for Women has built an incredible legacy built on the advocacy of so many strong feminists and leaders who’ve come before us, and I’m incredibly grateful for their work and for the support of the Office for Women in our work too.”
To mark the anniversary, OFW has created a timeline of key achievements in the journey towards gender equality over the last 50 years. It complements Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality which outlines the future pathway to further progress gender equality over the next 10 years. A Baseline Report was also launched on 1 November 2024, providing sources and reference points for each indicator and measure listed in the Working for Women reporting framework. Created by OFW, the Baseline Report provides a point in time picture of gender equality in Australia in 2024, listing the data the Government will use to assess impact and progress over coming years.
