Women in the Australian Senate

There have been 89 women in the Australian Senate since the establishment of the Parliament of Australia. Women have had the right to both vote and sit in parliament since 1902 and all states and territories have been represented by a woman in the Senate.

History

The passage of the Commonwealth Franchise Act allowed women to both vote and stand for election to the Parliament of Australia.^[1][2] Numerous women stood unsuccessfully as independents or as representatives of minor parties for election to the Senate, including prominent South Australian suffragist Vida Goldstein, who ran in 1903, 1910 and 1917. However, women were not successful in entering federal politics until World War II. The major parties did not endorse any female candidates for the Senate before the War.

The first woman to be elected to the Senate was Labor representative Dorothy Tangney in 1943; she represented Western Australia. Following Tangney's entry into politics, the Senate has continuously had women members. (By contrast, although the first woman member of the House of Representatives, Dame Enid Lyons, was also elected in 1943, that house has had women members continuously only since 1980.)

The second woman elected to the Senate, Annabelle Rankin, also achieved a number of firsts for women: she was the first female Whip, and she was the first woman with a federal portfolio when she became Minister for Housing in 1966. In 1975, Margaret Guilfoyle became the first female cabinet minister with a portfolio. In 1996 Margaret Reid was the first woman elected as President of the Senate.

Women in the Senate have made significant changes to Australian law which have benefited women. For example a private member's bill written by Senator Susan Ryan was crucial to the development of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, the Affirmative Action (Equal Employment Opportunity for Women) Act 1986, the Public Service Reform Act 1984 and the Equal Employment Opportunity (Commonwealth Authorities) Act 1987.

List of women in the Australian Senate

Names in bold type indicate Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries. Names in italics indicate appointments made under section 15 of the Constitution, or through disqualification. Names marked with an asterisk (*) also served in the House of Representatives. Where no closing date is shown, the Senator’s term of service is unexpired.

Timeline

See also

• Women and government in Australia
• Women in the Australian House of Representatives

Notes

References

• Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia. 2005. Women in Parliament
• Women in the Current (41st) Parliament
• Ruedas, M. 1999. Women in the Senate, Senate Brief 3, Parliament of Australia

Parliament of Australia Components Queen (represented by the Governor-General) Senate House of Representatives Parliamentary officers Senate President of the Australian Senate Clerk Leader of the Government in the Senate Manager of Government Business Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Manager of Opposition Business Whips (list) House of Representatives Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives Clerk Leader of the House Leader of the Opposition Manager of Opposition Business Whips (list) Members Served in both houses Represented multiple states 30+ years Father of the Parliament Senate Current (previous) Appointees Women Father of the Senate House of Representatives Current (previous) Women Father of the House Procedure Speech from the throne Joint meetings Question time Matter of public importance Readings of bills Royal Assent Committees: Senate | House of Reps Elections Current List Double dissolution Senate: Group voting ticket House of Representatives: Preferential voting Two-party-preferred vote Divisions By-elections Locations Parliament House, Melbourne Old Parliament House Parliament House, Canberra