Women make big contribution to Government

• Premier marks International Women's Day tomorrow by highlighting the role of women in senior positions in WA public sector

• 71.7% of public sector is female

• Increasing number of women in Senior Executive Service

International Women's Day was a good opportunity to note the number of women making a significant contribution in the Western Australian public sector, Premier Colin Barnett said today.

Figures from the Public Sector Commission show in the past 10 years, the proportion of women in the public sector has increased from 63.8 per cent to 71.7 per cent, compared with the broader WA workforce which is 43.5 per cent women.

"I am particularly pleased to see there are more and more women now in senior levels of the public sector, with the proportion of women in the Senior Executive Service increasing from 19.1 per cent in 2000 to 29.2 per cent in 2013," Mr Barnett said.

"We have high-calibre women occupying critical positions at the helm of several WA Government departments such as Sharyn O'Neill who leads the Department of Education; Sue Murphy who is CEO of the Water Corporation; Anne Nolan who heads up the Department of Finance; Jennifer Mathews who is Director General of the Department of Local Government and Communities; Dr Ruth Shean who is Director General of the Department of Training and Workforce Development; Stephanie Buckland who heads up Tourism; and Cheryl Gwilliam is Director General of the Department of the Attorney General."

The Premier said while the percentage of women in tier one CEO positions had decreased slightly to 26.2 per cent, he was very pleased to see the proportion of women occupying second and third tier management positions had increased in 2013 to 35.4 per cent and 42 per cent respectively.

'I know we are not all the way there yet, but I am very pleased to see the glass ceiling at least starting to crack in many parts of the WA public sector," he said.

Women's Interests Minister Liza Harvey said it was important, on International Women's Day, to acknowledge the achievements of many women in the WA public sector and to acknowledge the great strides that had been made in ensuring women had the opportunity to reach their full potential at work.

"It's not only important for women, it's also important for the public sector - and the whole community - to benefit from the experience and qualities that women can bring to senior management roles," Mrs Harvey said.

She said the Public Sector Commission was working to identify factors that would encourage and support more women to take on leadership roles in the public sector.

Mrs Harvey said many outstanding women also held key positions on Government boards and committees such as Marion Fulker, Rosanna Capolingua, Erica Smyth and Kerry Sanderson.

The representation of women on Government boards and committees has increased from 35.5 per cent in 2011 to 41.7 per cent in 2013, exceeding the national Women on Boards target of a minimum of 40 per cent women on Australian Government Boards by 2015.

The number of women on the boards of the 14 WA Government-owned corporations had jumped by six percentage points between 2012 and 2013 to 29.1 per cent.

Mrs Harvey said International Women's Day was an excellent opportunity to acknowledge the work of women in many walks of life.

Speaking at an event to induct 10 inspiring women into WA Women's Hall of Fame at the ballroom of Government House this morning, she said women made an invaluable contribution to work as well as to their families and broader communities.

"The WA Women's Hall of Fame is a fantastic opportunity to recognise women from all walks of life, whether they are unsung heroes giving quietly to their communities, or whether their work has a profile beyond WA," she said.

"Today we pay tribute to their incredible efforts, their generosity, their integrity and their talent."

       Fact File

• Female employees make up much of the large nursing and teaching workforce

• Public Sector Commission has progressed work to identify factors that enable and challenge women's mobility in the public sector by seeking personal insights from women in the WA public sector

• Work continues to requiring every public sector agency (under the Equal Opportunity Act 1984) to commit to an EEO Management Plan ensuring employment programs and practices recognise and include strategies to achieve diversity outcomes

Premier's office - 6552 5000

Women's Interests Minister's office - 6552 5900