Minister for Women (Australia)

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Minister for Women
Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Flag of Australia
Katy Gallagher 2022.jpg
Incumbent
Katy Gallagher
since 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Style The Honourable
Appointer Governor-General
on the advice of the prime minister
Inaugural holder Judi Moylan
(as Minister for the Status of Women)
Formation9 October 1997 (1997-10-09)
Website ministers.pmc.gov.au/gallagher

The Minister for Women in the Government of Australia is Katy Gallagher, who since 23 May 2022 has been a member of the Albanese ministry. [1] Ministers holding the position, first introduced in 1976 during the Second Fraser ministry, have held several different titles. They have often held other portfolios, and sometimes sat in Cabinet of Australia. All but the first two office-holders have been women.

Contents

History

A women's affairs branch was established within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in 1976. [2] Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser announced he wished to "have formal machinery set up for the co-ordination of government activity in women's affairs". [3] He appointed Tony Street as the first Minister Assisting the Prime Minister in Women’s Affairs; [4] Street and his successor Ian Macphee are the only men to have held the post. Senator Margaret Guilfoyle, the only female minister at the time (and one of only six women in parliament), declined the position, as she was unwilling to be pigeonholed into portfolios that were considered "women's work". [5]

Scope

In the Government of Australia, the Minister administers the portfolio through the Office for Women within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, with the budget being administered through the Department of Social Services. Currently, the Minister works with other Government Ministers to ensure that women's issues and gender equality are taken into consideration in policy and program development and implementation. The Office for Women supports the Minister in this role, and is the central source of advice for Government agencies on the impact of Government policies and programmes for Australian women.

List of ministers

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Women, or any of its precedent titles: [6]

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Tony Street   Liberal Fraser Minister Assisting the Prime Minister in Women's Affairs16 August 19768 November 197684 days
2 Ian Macphee 8 November 197620 December 19771 year, 42 days
3 Susan Ryan   Labor Hawke Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women11 March 198319 January 19884 years, 314 days
4 Margaret Reynolds 19 January 19884 April 19902 years, 75 days
5 Wendy Fatin 4 April 199020 December 19912 years, 354 days
Keating 20 December 199124 March 1993
6 Rosemary Crowley 24 March 199323 December 1993274 days
7 Ros Kelly 23 December 19931 March 199468 days
8 Carmen Lawrence 25 March 199411 March 19961 year, 352 days
9 Jocelyn Newman  Liberal Howard 11 March 19969 October 19971 year, 212 days
10 Judi Moylan Minister for the Status of Women9 October 199721 October 19981 year, 12 days
(9)Jocelyn NewmanMinister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women21 October 199830 January 20012 years, 101 days
11 Amanda Vanstone 30 January 20017 October 20032 years, 250 days
12 Kay Patterson 7 October 200326 October 20042 years, 112 days
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues26 October 200427 January 2006
13 Julie Bishop 27 January 20063 December 20071 year, 310 days
14 Tanya Plibersek  Labor Rudd Minister for the Status of Women3 December 200724 June 20102 years, 285 days
Gillard 24 June 201014 September 2010
15 Kate Ellis 15 September 201014 December 20111 year, 90 days
16 Julie Collins 14 December 201127 June 20131 year, 278 days
Rudd27 June 201318 September 2013
17 Michaelia Cash  Liberal Abbott Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women [7] 18 September 201315 September 20154 years, 93 days
Turnbull 15 September 201521 September 2015
Minister for Women21 September 201520 December 2017
18 Kelly O'Dwyer 20 December 201724 August 20181 year, 112 days
Morrison 24 August 201811 April 2019
19 Marise Payne 29 May 201922 May 20222 years, 358 days
20 Katy Gallagher Labor Albanese 23 May 2022Incumbent3 years, 69 days

Assistant ministers

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in officeReference
1 Kate Thwaites   Labor Albanese Assistant Minister for Women29 July 202413 May 2025288 days [8]
2 Rebecca White 13 May 2025Incumbent79 days [9]

References

  1. ↑ "Current Ministry List". www.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  2. ↑ "Adviser 'named soon'". The Canberra Times . 15 March 1976.
  3. ↑ "Women's affairs". The Canberra Times . 6 July 1976.
  4. ↑ "Assistant ministers appointed". The Canberra Times . 17 August 1976.
  5. ↑ Margaret Fitzherbert. "GUILFOYLE, DAME MARGARET GEORGINA CONSTANCE (1926– )". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  6. ↑ "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  7. ↑ "Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia . Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  8. ↑ "Ministry list as at 29 July 2024". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia) . 29 July 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  9. ↑ "Ministry list as at 13 May 2025". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia) . 13 May 2025. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
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