Processing Backlog Exacerbates Gender Gap in Australia Day Honours
A substantial backlog of approximately 6,000 nominations has been identified as a key factor contributing to a pronounced gender disparity in this year's Australia Day honours list. The issue has prompted serious concern from government officials and advocacy groups, who are calling for urgent reforms to address the systemic imbalance.
Systemic Challenges and Government Response
Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Patrick Gorman, has publicly acknowledged that the current gender imbalance is unacceptable. He attributed the problem to a combination of factors, including women being underrepresented in nominations and a years-long backlog in processing those nominations. The federal government has responded by announcing an additional $6 million in funding for the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General over the next two years.
However, it is important to note that not all of this extra funding will be directed specifically to the Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat at Government House. This allocation follows an independent review led by Dr Vivienne Thom, which highlighted critical issues within the honours system.
Review Recommendations and Advocacy Calls
The Thom review made several key recommendations aimed at resolving the backlog and improving transparency. These include:
- Reverting to a policy of assessing Order of Australia nominations in strict chronological order, unless exceptional circumstances such as age or health require prioritisation.
- Recruiting approximately 18 additional staff members for a two-year period, overseen by a senior executive service officer, to specifically handle the accumulated backlog.
- Implementing systematic data collection to analyse all aspects of diversity within the nominations and awards process.
Carol Kiernan, co-founder of the advocacy group Honour A Woman, has emphasised that funding alone will not be sufficient to create meaningful change. The group is pushing for a comprehensive overhaul of the system to ensure greater equity and representation.
Historical Context and Community Action
Insiders have revealed that the previous governor-general, David Hurley, and the Council of the Order of Australia had embarked on an initiative to achieve an even gender split before the end of Hurley's tenure. To pursue this goal, nominations were not processed in the order they were received, which inadvertently contributed to the current backlog.
The Council of the Order of Australia has issued a statement expressing concern over the gender balance in this year's honours list. They hope this situation will serve as a catalyst for community action, encouraging more Australians to nominate deserving women for recognition.
Recent data indicates that over the past twelve months, the gender split in nominations has been approximately two-thirds men and one-third women. In response, the government has invested in campaigns to increase the nomination of women, with Minister Gorman making a direct appeal to the public.
"I call on all Australians to consider nominating a woman for Australian Honours," he stated, highlighting the need for broader community participation in addressing this ongoing issue.
