Women in public life - Policy must be matched with action

Gender quotas and the positive discrimination needed to realise them are fraught subjects.

In an ideal world — in this context a strong, proactive meritocracy — they would be an anachronism. Individuals would be appointed or offered to an electorate because of their personal qualities rather than being representatives of a certain under-represented demographic.

It is generally accepted though that some sort of quota system, some sort of bias, is appropriate to correct historical imbalances and move more quickly towards an inclusive, more representative ideal. Government recognised this and before the 2011 election, promised to appoint more women to state boards. Like nearly all of the reform-based election promises, it attracted considerable support, especially as the consequences of decades of the self-satisfied, purring conservatism bordering on stasis were all too apparent.