Quotas spark debate on Women's Day

Setting quotas to boost the number of women in senior management roles has dominated discussions about gender equity on the centenary of International Women's Day.

But views remain divided, with opponents of quotas arguing that board appointments should be purely merit-based.

Research suggests that around 27 per cent of private company senior positions are held by women, ahead of the global average of 20 per cent. But only 22 directors on ASX-200 listed companies are women.

Australia's first female governor-general Quentin Bryce agrees, saying the poor representation of women in business, on boards and in decision-making positions is disappointing.

"There are some circumstances when special measures (quotas) are very constructive," she told ABC radio on Tuesday.

The federal government, which has promised 40 per cent of public board positions will be held by females by 2015, and the sex discrimination commissioner say quotas are a last resort.

But Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu, and a group representing company directors aren't as open to the idea, arguing it won't improve executive diversity.

"Women can and should succeed on their merits. If we give them more opportunities to show their merits we'll see more success," Mr Abbott told reporters in Melbourne.

But it appears he is at odds with his shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey, who has suggested quotas to lift female representation on boards to at least 30 per cent.

Australian Institute of Company Directors chief executive John Colvin says quotas "are tokenistic and counterproductive to the end goal of increasing board diversity".

At a women's forum at Parliament House in Canberra, ABC political commentator Annabel Crabb suggested quotas of a different kind could get more women into work.

The traditional role of the wife in the home should be filled by men in 30 per cent of cases by 2015, she suggested to an audience of hundreds of women and several men.

"This is not an anti-bloke rant, by the way," she remarked.

Centre for Policy and Development director Miriam Lyons spoke about the need for a more equitable superannuation scheme, noting that women typically retire with half the savings of men.

Minister for the Status of Women Kate Ellis said the day was an important time to reflect on the issues women have fought for over the past 100 years, including the vote, the birth-control pill, equal pay but not necessarily equal income, paid parental leave and no-fault divorce.

"I truly hope that in 100 years' time, women will be celebrating our generation's achievements and what we've done to progress the pursuit of gender equality," she told the forum in Canberra.

Meanwhile, unions used the occasion to call for measures to close the gender pay gap - around 17 per cent - highlighting their equal pay test case before Fair Work Australia.

Unions are seeking a 50 per cent wage increase for the female-dominated social and community sectors. The federal government has committed to fund any decision made by the tribunal.