Women as Decision Makers

Australian women, in nationwide consultations prior to the UN Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, listed women's participation in decision making as a priority. Their wishes have not been met.

• In December 1998, the percentage of women members of the Federal Parliament increased to 25.4%, up from 10% in 1993.
• In the House of Representatives, the increase was from 10% in 1993 to 22% in 1998: ALP with 24.9% or 16 members; LP with 23.4 or 15 members; NP with 12.5% or 2 members.
• In the Senate, the increase was from 22% women in 1993 to 29% in 1999: ALP with 32% or 9 members; LP with 29% or 9 members; NP nil; Australian Democrats with 44% or 4 members.
• In March 2000, the percentage of women in all Australian State Parliaments was 23%.
• In NSW women were 18% in the Lower House and 21% in the Upper House.
• After the September 1999 local government elections women were 26% of all local councillors in NSW, up from 22% in 1995. In March 2000, women were 26% of councillors in Victoria. Statistics for other states were not available but trends in NSW and Victoria suggest there will be a small increase nation wide.
• Women in 1999 were 11% of directors on boards of Australia's top 300 companies but that only 47% of these 300 companies had any women directors. (Weekend Australian. 22-23 April 2000)
• The Inter-Parliamentary Union in March 2000 in a table showing "Countries in descending order of the percentage of women in the lower or single (legislative) houses", lists Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway the Netherlands and Iceland in places 1 to 6, but Australia is in 20th place!

While the statistics show a gradual increase in the numbers of women in decision making institutions, women have not reached the stage where women can decisively influence the policies and priorities of the major political parties and our public institutions. The political parties as "private organisations" receive large amounts of public money for electioneering purposes, yet they are exempt from the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 - surely an undesirable situation. Australia has not yet fulfilled its obligations under CEDAW, Article 7 to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political life and the public life of the country.

top of page

Homepage
Women Into Politics
PO Box 1144 North Sydney NSW 2060
Australia
Phone/Fax 61 2 9906 5945 or phone 9437 6916
Email wip@womenintopolitics.org.au
Web http://www.womenintopolitics.org.au/

Last updated 14 November 2006