US agencies urged to do more on gender pay equity, female civil servants can forge new leadership models, and more
Welcome to this month’s Global Government Women’s Network newsletter following a break in August. In this edition, we look at efforts to encourage US federal agencies to ‘probe deeper’ to better understand and address pay disparities.
We also explore the debates around flexible and remote working and the potential impact on women civil servants, as well as whether civil services are diverse enough when it comes to data and AI roles, why this matters, and how it can be addressed.
Sarah Wray
Editor
Global Government Forum
In this edition:
- US federal agencies urged to do more on gender pay equity
- ‘Be your own kind of leader’: Old leadership models shouldn’t hold female civil servants back
- Australia commits $4.4 billion to tackle ‘national emergency’ of gender-based violence
- Diversity in data and AI
- Women could be worst affected by back to office push, union warns
- Webinar: Women civil servants and flexible/hybrid working
US federal agencies urged to do more on gender pay equity
The US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is encouraging federal agencies to conduct their own gender pay gap analysis to better understand and address disparities.
Not done yet: A recent memo from OPM acting director Robert Shriver said that the federal workforce has a gender pay gap of 5.6%, meaning that on average, women are paid around 94 cents for every dollar a man makes. This is compared to a 25% federal gender pay gap in 1992 and a current 16% national gender pay gap.
OPM has already prohibited the use of previous salary information in setting pay for federal employees as part of action to boost pay equity. This followed an executive order on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the federal workforce and a subsequent government-wide strategic plan.
“We don’t want agencies to perpetuate gender pay discrimination that occurred outside of government when hiring people into government jobs,” said Shriver. “But our work is not finished, and we need to do more.”
‘Probe deeper’: OPM has recommended that agencies carry out their own pay gap data analysis similar to that conducted by OPM on a government-wide basis. The goal is to identify areas where gender-related and racial/ethnic-related pay disparities exist and develop targeted strategies to address them.
Shriver said that when comparing the average salary of women and men in various racial-ethnic groups to the average salary of white males in the government, “we find larger pay gaps that also need to be addressed”.
The guidance notes that: “In some cases, agency data analysis may need to probe deeper than the analysis conducted by OPM to fully understand the factors behind a gender or racial/ethnic pay disparity. For example, an agency may generate data for major occupations that show gender pay gaps by age groupings within each occupation.”
Ongoing monitoring: OPM recommends that agencies analyse data for the most recent fiscal year available to obtain an understanding of the current workforce with respect to gender and racial/ethnic groups. It says this data can be a baseline for future comparisons and agencies may then decide to analyse past years to gain an understanding of workforce trends.
OPM also recommends that agencies develop a plan for conducting ongoing, regular data analysis related to gender and racial/ethnic pay equality.
To conduct this work, agencies are encouraged to assemble a team of employees, including those with necessary skills in data system administration and statistical analysis.
‘Be your own kind of leader’: Old leadership models shouldn’t hold female civil servants back
A Global Government Forum training course has been specifically designed to address the issues affecting women in the civil service who wish to progress up the career ladder.
Persistent issue: While many countries have made progress towards gender parity in senior roles in the civil service, there is still a long way to go. Global Government Forum research published in November 2022 revealed that fewer than one in three senior civil servants across the governments of G20 countries are women.
Traditional models: There are many intersecting reasons for this, from workplace culture and unconscious bias to the challenges of balancing caregiving with professional responsibilities. Other factors include issues such as self-confidence and perceptions about what leadership looks like.
“Very early on, I started to notice actually all the models and all the old paradigms for leadership are built around men,” says Meena Karawadhra, who runs the Global Government Forum Women into Leadership seminars. “I felt like there wasn’t a lot for me.”
Workshops: The Women into Leadership seminars tackle issues raised by women head-on, delving into data, neuroscience and lived experience to unpack issues such as unconscious bias, limiting beliefs, and stereotypes. “We encourage women to define their leadership style on their terms,” says Karawadhra.
Design your future: The seminars support attendees to create a leadership statement and define who they want to be as a leader and the type of impact they want to have. Participants are encouraged to map out the career opportunities that are available for them, but also how they can create and seek out more prospects for themselves through networking, mentorship and more.
Strength in numbers: As Karawadhra points out: “The overwhelming feedback from delegates is: ‘Wow, I realise I’m not alone’. They leave empowered, ready to make a difference.”
Read the full article on GGF
The next Women into Leadership seminars, which are two stand-alone but complementary sessions, take place on Thursday 24 October and Thursday 7 November.
Australia commits $4.4bn to tackle ‘national emergency’ of gender-based violence
The Australian government has announced AUS$4.4bn (US$2.9bn) in new funding to address gender-based violence following recommendations published in a rapid review. Minister for women Katy Gallagher said the funds will be used for frontline services and initiatives to prevent violence.
More than a crisis: In April, prime minister Anthony Albanese labelled a rise in homicides of women and children a national crisis and in May, following a National Cabinet meeting on gender-based violence, announced the rapid review on prevention to be led by a panel of experts. This came after the murders of multiple people in a stabbing attack at Bondi Junction and a spate of high-profile murders of women by current or former partners.
According to the 96-page report, as of 15 August, there have been 54 violent deaths of women and 10 of children this year.
The review says the issue “is more than a national crisis, but a national emergency” and recommends that “gender-based violence becomes an ongoing priority for National Cabinet to ensure that government accountability, as well as sustained investment and attention, is maintained”.
It adds: “In particular, the untold number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children who are missing, presumed murdered, remains a source of grief, questions and national shame.”
Priorities: The report highlights priorities such as responding to children and young people’s experiences of domestic, family and sexual violence; engaging with men and boys in violence prevention; and better understanding pathways into perpetration to improve early intervention initiatives.
Recommendations: The 21 recommendations focus on areas of prevention such as: people, responses, systems and industries, and learning and data. The first recommendation is to “explicitly prioritise the experiences and needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples”.
The report calls for the collection of more qualitative and quantitative data to address gaps in understanding about gender-based violence, and better monitoring of the emerging and changing role of technology and the opportunities and risks it presents.
Other recommendations are to work with “industries that are well positioned to prevent and reduce domestic, family and sexual violence” such as gambling and alcohol, including “reviewing and strengthening alcohol and gambling regulatory environments to prioritise the prevention of gender-based violence”.
The review also calls for more funding for crisis accommodation and the development of a national response to online misogyny and radicalisation.
Funding: The government will invest AUS$3.9bn in a new National Access to Justice Partnership to support frontline legal services. An additional AUS$351m will go towards frontline family, domestic, and sexual violence services. Targeted initiatives worth AUS$169m will address gender-based violence, including AUS$85m for programmes targetting high-risk perpetrators and AUS$80m for trauma-informed support for children and First Nations youth. The government will also audit systems to prevent their misuse by perpetrators of family violence.
Diversity in data and AI
A session at an upcoming Global Government Forum event will explore how to get more women into data and AI roles.
Diverse thinking: In a recent interview with Global Government Forum, Ming Tang, chief data and analytics officer, NHS England, highlighted the importance of a diverse workforce. “I would like to support the introduction of greater diversity of thought and background into the civil service.
“This is why I have set up the Data and Analytics Academy to facilitate learning within the service and also to seek out new recruits from diverse backgrounds into data and analytics.”
On the agenda: At Public Service Data Live in London on 19 September, a networking session will focus on addressing this. It will feature a fireside chat with Gina Gill, chief strategy officer in the UK’s Central Digital and Data Office, and Amanda Dahl, deputy director, digital service platforms, Government Digital Service.
The session will explore:
- Why diversity is crucial for the development and deployment of disruptive technologies like AI in public services
- A snapshot of diversity in public services data and AI workforces today
- Efforts that are in place to rebalance this and how this work can be accelerated given the pace of AI
- How public services organisations are working to mitigate bias in AI systems
Find out more about Public Service Data Live
Women could be worst affected by back to office push, union warns
An Australian union has warned that attempts to force public servants working from home back into the office could lead to ‘brain drain’ and hit women the hardest.
In-person preferred: In August, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns issued a memo saying that government staff should work principally in the office by default. The memo said that flexible working arrangements could be achieved through measures such as part-time roles, job-share arrangements, compressed hours, and varied start and finish times. However, it stressed that government outcomes and “building and replenishing public institutions” require “being physically present in our organisations”, adding that in-office working is important for fostering teamwork and ensuring “effective use of public assets”.
Disproportionate impact: “Women would be likely to be disproportionately affected by such a policy change. Flexible work arrangements have been crucial for working parents, grandparents, caregivers, and those managing modern responsibilities,” Gordon Brock, Professionals Australia NSW director, told The Mandarin. Professionals Australia represents professional and technical workers, including those in government roles.
“Additionally, the removal of flexibility arrangements will make the attraction and retention of skilled professionals, particularly women, much more difficult within the NSW public service,” Brock said.
Consultation: The Public Service Association (PSA) union said it had received “many queries” from members following the memo on working-from-home arrangements. It has since received the draft flexible working policy and will be engaged in consultation with the Premier’s Department until 20 September.
Canada’s mandate: The warning also comes as Canada’s back-to-the-office mandate for public servants takes effect. The Canadian government’s new order requires public servants to work in their federal office for a minimum of three days a week and aims to “maximise the benefits of on-site presence and bring greater consistency to the application of hybrid work for employees, while maintaining flexibility for employees to work remotely”. However, trade unions are still seeking a review of the directive, calling for a “fair and transparent approach to telework”.
Webinar: Women civil servants and flexible/hybrid working
A Global Government Forum webinar on 3 October will explore the potential impact that flexible and hybrid working have on the careers of women civil servants.
Hybrid working has encouraged more professional women to move to full-time work and enabled many to better balance work and other responsibilities. However, it is not a silver bullet, with some governments enforcing returns to the office or refusing flexible working requests, and questions remaining about how hybrid working could impact women’s careers.
Join this webinar to find out:
- How hybrid working can benefit women in public service roles
- Some of the potential challenges with managing hybrid workforces/roles, from communication styles to ensuring equitable access to the career ladder
- How to design hybrid working arrangements that foster productivity and inclusion
Public servants can register here for free to attend this webinar
About Sarah Wray
Sarah has over 15 years’ experience as a journalist with a specialism in the public sector and topics such as digitalisation and climate action. Sarah was formerly the editor of Cities Today and Smart Cities World, as well as a specialist video-based publication in the aerospace sector. She has also written for publications including Smart Cities Dive, Mobile Europe, Mobile World Live and Computer Weekly.
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