Gender Balance on Australian Government Boards Report 2021-22

The Gender Balance on Australian Government Boards Report is prepared annually by the Office for Women, and reports on the Government’s performance against its gender diversity target. As of June 2022, women held a record 51.4 per cent of Australian Government board positions, the highest overall result since reporting began in 2008.

Foreword

As the Minister for Finance, Women and the Public Service, I am pleased to present the Gender Balance on Australian Government Boards Report 2021-22.

In this reporting period, the Government has met the target of 50 per cent representation of women on Government Boards for the first time since the target was introduced.

The target was first met in December 2021, when women occupied 50.2 per cent of board positions. This has been further strengthened, with women now holding 51.4 per cent of Government board positions as of 30 June 2022. This is a milestone achievement and is significant when compared to 2016 when this number was only 40.5 per cent.

The latest results also show an increase in the representation of women in leadership positions, with women holding 41 per cent of Chair and Deputy Chair positions, at 30 June 2022. This is an increase of 1.9 percentage points from 30 June 2021.

The Government remains committed to the target of 50 per cent representation of women on Australian Government Boards and we will not rest on the progress made so far. There is still work to do to improve women’s representation in leadership positions, and to reach the target at portfolio and board level.

We also need to ensure greater diversity across board membership, including people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and representation of First Nations people. Having diverse women in visible, influential and decision-making positions across all levels and sectors of society is vital to driving cultural change and ensuring diverse views and experiences are represented at decision-making tables.

The Government wants Australia to be a leader on gender equality. We are putting gender equality at the centre of decision making and will develop a National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality to guide whole-of-government action toward achieving this goal. Equal representation on Government Boards – the very decision-making tables that help guide our policies – is a critical foundation to delivering on this ambition.

 

Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher
Minister for Finance, Minister for Women and Minister for the Public Service