AGY-4119 | Office for Women (2004-2009) / Office for Women's Policy (2009-2011) / Women NSW (2011- )

Full description

The Office for Women was established in the New South Wales Premier’s Office to work "on strategy, policy development, programs and projects to benefit the women of New South Wales". (1) It replaced the Department for Women, which had been abolished on 1 July 2004 under the Public Sector Employment and Management (Department of Women) Order 2004. (2)

The objectives of the Office for Women were to be "a credible and expert source of knowledge and strategic policy advice to the Premier, the public and non government sector on emerging and complex issues relating to women in New South Wales". (3)

In 2004, the Office for Women delivered a number of programs and services including the Women’s Information and Referral Service, the Women’s Grant Program, Girl Savvy and the Lucy Mentoring Program. The Lucy Mentoring Program aimed to increase the numbers of women in middle and senior management in the private and public sectors. (4) The Office also provided administrative support to the Premier’s Council for women. (5)

By late 2004, the structure of the newly created Office For Women consisted of a Director, Assistant Director, and three divisions: the Strategy Policy Development Division, Executive Support Corporate Services Division and the Programs, Projects and Public Affairs Division. (6)

The name of the branch had changed to the Office for Women's Policy by January 2009, at the change from program and grants to a whole of Government policy role in promoting issues of significance to women, including part time work, and national work on indicators for women. (7)

From 4 April 2011 the Office for Women's Policy was removed from the Department of Premier and Cabinet and transferred to the Principal Department, the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS). (8) The Office for Women’s Policy was renamed to Women NSW at the transfer to FACS. (9)

From 1 July 2015 Women NSW was transferred from FACS to the Ministry of Health. At the transfer the Ministry of Health assumed responsibility for supporting whole of Government efforts to reduce domestic and family violence and progress the Women NSW agenda which sat within the branch of Strategy and Resources. (10)

The NSW Government approved the transfer of the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and the Minister of Women (Women NSW), a service group within NSW Health, back to FACS, as an entity controlled by the ultimate parent, via an administrative transfer. The transfer was completed on 1 April 2017. (11)

FACS was abolished on 1 July 2019 and its former staff were combined with the former Department of Justice to become the Department of Communities and Justice. (12)

From 1 April 2022 Women NSW was transferred to the Department of Premier and Cabinet from the Department of Communities and Justice. (13)

In 2023 Women NSW was responsible for developing policy and strategy in areas of women's equal rights and women's economic and social participation as well as conducting research, collecting and publishing data on key indicators of women’s equality, as well as providing advice across the NSW Government about issues affecting women and girls. The purpose of Women NSW was:
- Developing and implementing policies, programs and system reforms;
- Innovation and collaboration both across government and the broader community;
- Developing and collecting performance and outcomes data. (14)

From 1 July 2024, Women NSW was transferred from the Premier’s Department to the Cabinet Office [II]. (15)

Endnotes
1. NSW Premier’s Website, Office for Women, (accessed 6 December 2004).
2. NSW Government Gazette 30 June 2004 pp. 4878 – 4879.
3. op. cit. NSW Premier’s Website.
4. loc. cit.
5. NSW Women, Newsletter of the Office for Women, Issue 1, November 2004, p.3 http://www.women.nsw.gov.au/PDF/NSW_Women_Issue1.pdf (accessed 6 December 2004).
6. Organisational Chart, Office for Women Website, template (accessed 6 December 2004).
7. Department of Premier and Cabinet, Annual Report 2008-2009, p.78.
8. Public Sector Employment and Management (Departments) Order 2011 (2011 No 184) cls. 35; notified on NSW Legislation website, 3 April 2011.
9. Department of Family and Community Services, Annual Report 2011-2012, p.8.
10. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes - Public Service Agencies) Order 2015 (2015 No 166), cl.12.; NSW Health, Annual Report 2015-2016, p.iiii.
11. NSW Health, Annual Report 2017-2018, p.164.
12. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes - Public Service Agencies) Order 2019 (2019-159) cl. 11 (2) Legislation website, 2 April 2019 as amended by the Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes - Miscellaneous) Order 2019 (2019-308) cls. 6 and 2 (4) Legislation website, 1 May 2019.
13. Administrative Arrangements (Second Perrottet Ministry - Transitional) Order 2021 (2021 No 790), Sch.3, cl.4.
14. Women NSW website, About Women NSW, https://www.nsw.gov.au/women-nsw/about-women-nsw (accessed 27 March 2023).
15. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes—Miscellaneous) Order 2024 (2024 No.2), Schedule 1, Amendment of Administrative Arrangements (58th Parliament) Order 2023, NSW Legislation Website, 28 June 2024.