Women Still Under-represented in Leadership Positions

Women in Australia continue to be under-represented in positions of leadership, according to a new report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The release of Gender Indicators, Australia brings together a variety of ABS and non-ABS data to look at the differences between men and women, and how these differences are changing over time.

ABS Director of Living Conditions Statistics, Caroline Daley, said men still held a higher proportion of Australia’s top leadership positions including federal and state parliamentarians, CEOs in the top 200 ASX companies and managers in the Australian Public Service.

"Seven out of ten federal and state parliamentarians were men, and this hasn't changed over the past ten years," Daley said.

"The proportion of women CEOs in top 200 ASX companies has remained below five per cent for the last decade.

“The situation in the public service however is changing, with the proportion of women in senior and middle manager roles rising from 35 per cent in 2002 to 46 per cent in 2012."

The report also shows that more than twice as many men as women receive nominations and awards for the Order of Australia.

“The difference is greatest at the highest tiers of the honours system, where around three times as many men receive either the Companion of the Order (AC) or Officer of the Order (AO) award in the General Division,” Daley said.

“In 2012, 682 men and 297 women received a General Division Order of Australia award at either the Australia Day or Queen's Birthday announcements.

“Two women received the highest honour (AC), compared to 11 men, while 18 women and 57 men received the second highest honour (AO).”