 In this position, Goward criticised the business community for the "primitive attitudes" that kept women out of senior executive ranks and boardrooms.At the time of her appointment, she was criticised by Anne Summers, a previous Executive Director, and Carmen Lawrence, a prominent female politician, for her perceived inexperience and political connection to the Howard government.Goward was the Sex Discrimination Commissioner at HREOC, a five-year tenure she began in July 2001.