Minister for Women
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia
Incumbent
Katy Gallagher
since 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerGovernor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holderJudi Moylan
(as Minister for the Status of Women)
Formation9 October 1997 (1997-10-09)
Websiteministers.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.

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]

Order Minister Party Ministry Title Term start Term end Term in office Ref
1 Judi Moylan   Liberal 1st Howard Minister for the Status of Women 9 October 1997 (1997-10-09) 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) 1 year, 12 days [7]
2 Tanya Plibersek   Labor 1st Rudd
1st Gillard 		Minister for the Status of Women 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) 2 years, 285 days [8]
3 Kate Ellis 2nd Gillard 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) 1 year, 91 days [9]
4 Julie Collins 2nd Gillard
2nd Rudd 		14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 1 year, 278 days [10]
5 Michaelia Cash   Liberal 1st Turnbull
2nd Turnbull 		Minister for Women 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 2 years, 90 days [11]
6 Kelly O'Dwyer 2nd Turnbull
1st Morrison 		20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 1 year, 160 days [12]
7 Marise Payne 2nd Morrison 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) 2 years, 359 days [13]
8 Katy Gallagher   Labor Albanese 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) Incumbent 1 year, 220 days [14]

List of assistant ministers

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

Order Minister Party Ministry Title Term start Term end Term in office Ref
1 Tony Street   Liberal 2nd Fraser Minister Assisting the Prime Minister in Women's Affairs 16 August 1976 (1976-08-16) 8 November 1976 (1976-11-08) 84 days [15]
2 Ian Macphee 8 November 1976 (1976-11-08) 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) 1 year, 42 days [16]
3 Susan Ryan   Labor 1st Hawke
2nd Hawke
3rd Hawke 		Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) 19 January 1988 (1988-01-19) 4 years, 314 days [17]
4 Margaret Reynolds 3rd Hawke 19 January 1988 (1988-01-19) 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) 2 years, 75 days [18]
5 Wendy Fatin 4th Hawke
1st Keating 		4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) 2 years, 354 days [19]
6 Rosemary Crowley 2nd Keating 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) 23 December 1993 (1993-12-23) 274 days [20]
7 Ros Kelly 23 December 1993 (1993-12-23) 1 March 1994 (1994-03-01) 68 days [21]
8 Carmen Lawrence 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 1 year, 352 days [22]
9 Jocelyn Newman   Liberal 1st Howard 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 9 October 1997 (1997-10-09) 1 year, 212 days [23]
(9) Jocelyn Newman   Liberal 2nd Howard Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) 30 January 2001 (2001-01-30) 2 years, 101 days [23]
10 Amanda Vanstone 2nd Howard
3rd Howard 		30 January 2001 (2001-01-30) 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) 2 years, 250 days [24]
11 Kay Patterson 3rd Howard 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) 26 October 2004 (2004-10-26) 2 years, 112 days [25]
4th Howard Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues 26 October 2004 (2004-10-26) 27 January 2006 (2006-01-27)
12 Julie Bishop 27 January 2006 (2006-01-27) 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 1 year, 310 days [26]
13 Michaelia Cash   Liberal Abbott Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) 2 years, 3 days [11]
14 Amanda Stoker   Liberal (LNP) 2nd Morrison Assistant Minister for Women 30 March 2021 (2021-03-30) 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) 1 year, 54 days [27]

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. ^ a b "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  7. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Judith (Judi) Eleanor Moylan - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  8. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Tanya Joan Plibersek - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  9. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Katherine (Kate) Margaret Ellis - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Julie Maree Collins - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Biography of The Hon. Michaelia Clare Cash - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Kelly Megan O'Dwyer - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Marise Ann Payne - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  14. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Katherine (Katy) Ruth Gallagher - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  15. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Anthony Austin Street - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  16. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Ian Malcolm Macphee - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  17. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Susan Maree Ryan AO - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  18. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Margaret Reynolds - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  19. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Wendy Frances Fatin - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  20. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Rosemary Anne Crowley - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  21. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Roslyn Joan Kelly - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  22. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Dr Carmen Mary Lawrence - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  23. ^ a b "Biography of The Hon. Jocelyn Margaret Newman - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  24. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Amanda Eloise Vanstone - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  25. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Kay Christine Lesley Patterson - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  26. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Julie Isabel Bishop - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  27. ^ "Biography of The Hon. Amanda Jane Stoker - Online Parliamentary Handbook". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.

External links

Ministerial portfolios of the Commonwealth of Australia
Categories