More awards for women in first round of Australian Honours

Australian Honours were established in 1975 to recognise the highest levels of service and achievement in Australia. The honours are bestowed twice a year (26 January and 13 June) and recognise the contribution of recipients to the community.

Women represented 44 per cent of the total awards (212) given in Victoria. Although the percentage of women was slightly down from 2022 (48 per cent), a greater number overall were recognised.

The women recognised were cited for service across a range of fields, including to medical research, environmental protection, education and public debate, sports, science literature and local communities.

Women have been historically underrepresented in the awards, with men twice as likely to be recognised.

This year, women nationally were recognised at higher levels in the Order of Australia than at any time in the history of the awards. The 354 awards given to women represented 48 per cent of total awards given.

In Victoria, Australian Honours are central to the Recognition Matters campaign. The campaign was established to raise awareness of women’s contributions to the community and to increase the number of women being recognised. Between 1975 and 2017 just 30 per cent of awards were given to women.

Giving recognition to women through the Australian Honours system ensures their achievements are on the public record and that they are visible to others.

The Recognition Matters webpage provides practical tools and information on how to nominate, including a template nomination form (MS Word).

All nominations must be formally submitted via the Governor-General’s website.