The case for targets?

The head of the British civil service has committed to a new set of diversity targets. Sir Gus O’Donnell, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, says by 2013 the service is set to meet the following targets
• 39% of the senior civil service to be women
• 34% of top management posts to be held by women

At the end of 2007, 23% of women were chief executives of public service departments in New Zealand  according to the New Zealand Census of Women's Participation 2008.    The Human Rights Commission in its Universal periodic Review report to the United Nations in 2009 recommended that “ the government established targets for improving representation of women in senior management in the public service. However, the Government has indicated it will not be setting targets.