By Sharon Ardley
For the second consecutive year, women who have achieved leadership positions within the Victorian Public Sector (VPS) will be honoured in an initiative designed to highlight their work, to promote them as role models for other women and to support them in their career aspirations.
The Top 50 Public Sector Women (Victoria) initiative was launched in 2017 by Davidson’s Group General Manager Clare McCartin in a bid to redress the ongoing inequality in female representation at the highest levels of local government. Victorian Public Sector Commission (VPSC) data shows that as of June 2017, women accounted for 67 per cent of the VPS workforce, and yet, they held a disproportionality low 43.5 per cent of executive level positions. While the number of women holding senior VPS positions is low, it has been improving steadily jumping from 40 per cent in 2016 and 34.8 per cent in 2012.
Last night at Parliament House Sydney, 50 of NSW’s top performers in the state’s Public Sector were honoured and recognised for their work as they were named on the inaugural Top 50 Public Sector Women (NSW) List.
The Top 50 initiative was held for the first time last year in Victoria and was so well received, the organisers, Davidson in partnership with NSW Government and SEEK, introduced the event to NSW and received an overwhelming response.
By Clare McCartin, Group General Manager, Executive & Boards at Davidson
Elizabeth Cosson is a name which should long be remembered in Australian history.
In April, Cosson was appointed to the role of Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs heralding the realisation of what had been a dream for many –gender parity in the upper echelons of the Australian Public Service (APS).
Changing the conversation: from gender equality in the workplace to gender equality in primary care and how this will increase the number of women in leadership in the public sector.
While women make up two-thirds of the NSW Public Sector workforce, they still hold just over one-third of senior leadership positions in the sector. There is no good reason for this and the reality of seeing gender parity in the workforce remains long overdue.
Nominations for the Top 50 Public Sector Women list for NSW close on May 7 and with the representation of women in executive positions in the NSW still lagging behind men, it is critical we work to recognise women who have paved the way.
Nominations for the Top 50 Public Sector Women (Victoria) list will be accepted until June 11.
