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. 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. Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser announced he wished to "have formal machinery set up for the co-ordination of government activity in women's affairs". He appointed Tony Street as the first Minister Assisting the Prime Minister in Women’s Affairs; 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".
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:
Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office 1 Tony Street Liberal Fraser Minister Assisting the Prime Minister in Women's Affairs days 2 Ian Macphee 3 Susan Ryan Labor Hawke Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women 4 Margaret Reynolds 5 Wendy Fatin Keating 6 Rosemary Crowley days 7 Ros Kelly days 8 Carmen Lawrence 9 Jocelyn Newman Liberal Howard 10 Judi Moylan Minister for the Status of Women (9) Jocelyn Newman Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women 11 Amanda Vanstone 12 Kay Patterson Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues 13 Julie Bishop 14 Tanya Plibersek Labor Rudd Minister for the Status of Women Gillard 15 Kate Ellis 16 Julie Collins Rudd 17 Michaelia Cash Liberal Abbott Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women Turnbull Minister for Women 18 Kelly O'Dwyer Morrison 19 Marise Payne 20 Katy Gallagher Labor Albanese Incumbent
Assistant ministers Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office Ref 1 Kate Thwaites Labor Albanese Assistant Minister for Women days 2 Rebecca White Incumbent
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