Gender

The head of the Australian Public Service is one of the most unlikely bosses to be accused of gender bias, given his personal track record as a champion of change, but that’s the unusual and illogical claim levelled this week.

Some findings in the AFP gender review are shocking, but they aren’t surprising for a “command and control” organisation, says its author. For commissioner Andrew Colvin, cultural change starts at the top.

Tasmania’s eight department heads have jointly committed to gender parity in senior roles. Getting to 40% women at the top level by 2020 is their first target as the State Service tackles the merit paradox.

FEATURE: Agency bosses to identify women to replace them; women to start mentoring men; a sponsorship program to support female leaders … After false starts, South Australia is getting serious about equality.

Don’t know how to square off an HR diversity target with the idea of merit-based selection? You’re not alone. Two top figures for the public service think the answer lies in how far selection panels are willing to go.

A new deputy secretary at a “blokey” primary industries department has a plan to give women a fair go. He tells The Mandarin he won’t sugarcoat an imperfect situation, but the local tabloid missed the point entirely.

Research suggests boards which are more reflective of the community in terms of diversity are also more effective — and in the public sector, reflecting the community is not a bad thing. But will the government support a cross-bench senator’s hard target?

Many areas of Australia’s public sector are lagging when it comes to female representation, particularly at senior levels. But two laggards, Defence and Treasury, are making significant progress.

The public sector outperforms private enterprise on gender diversity in the workplace. But there are still barriers to keep women employed.