Global Government Innovators Report: International Women's Day Edition

Women are vastly underrepresented in leadership positions in the public sector. Despite accounting for half of the world's population, according to UN Women, women make up only 24% of parliamentarians and just 22% of local government officials worldwide. Additionally, only 26 per cent of all national parliamentarians are women, although this is up from 11 per cent in 1995.  

This lack of representation can lead to policies that do not take into account women's unique experiences and needs, and that fail to accurately represent the citizens and communities they serve.  

The future of government in different regions at all levels and within all functions looks very different following the pandemic. Now, more than ever, governments are reflecting on their role, on their processes, on the way they ‘do government’ to assess opportunities to best deliver services to citizens and ensure that trust is maintained.

Where can we do more with less?  Are we accessible? Are we secure? Are teams efficient and productive? Can we do better? And, crucially, how can we make government more inclusive and representative of the communities we serve? 

With contributions from 17 public sector female leaders from all tiers of government from five regions – Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom - Public Sector Network’s Global Government Innovators eBook has been written to showcase the women driving change, encouraging other female leaders and supporting their citizens - along with their hard working teams - to help build a stronger, smarter, more resilient public sector for the future.