Across Australia women continue to be significantly under-represented in parliament and executive government, comprising less than one-third of all parliamentarians and one-fifth of all ministers.
The Parliamentary Library has recently published an updated research paper, Representation of women in Australian parliaments 2014. It presents the latest data on women serving in Australian vice-regal, government and parliamentary leadership positions, ministries and parliamentary committees, as well as presenting an overview of female candidates in previous Commonwealth elections. Whilst the focus of the paper is on the Commonwealth Parliament, it includes comparative information about women in state and territory parliaments, local government, government boards and the corporate sector. It also presents an overview of the broader issue of gender diversity in leadership and executive decision-making roles in Australia. The Library has recently produced two related publications: Composition of Australian parliaments by party and gender, as at 2 July 2014 and Australia’s female political leaders: a quick guide.
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