WOMEN now outnumber men in the top jobs at Derbyshire's two biggest councils, new figures show.

More than half of the senior managers at the city and county council are female. In Derby, 53.4% of workers in the top five per cent best-paid are women, while the figure at County Hall is 55.7%.

That puts both authorities near the top of the UK league table for councils employing a high proportion of women in senior positions – and smashes the comparison with the private sector, where only 12% of bosses are female.

Both authorities have hailed the statistics as proof that family-friendly policies are enabling female employees to reach their full potential, breaking through the so-called "glass ceiling" – and setting an example for UK industry to follow.

Ann Webster, equality and diversity consultant at Derby City Council, said: "Let's just say women have put some significant cracks in the glass ceiling, but there are still things we can do to improve.

"It is important to have a mix (of male and female managers) because we want equality. I would hate to think people at the council felt top jobs were just for men."

Councillor John Harrison, Derbyshire County Council's cabinet member for finance and management, said: "These figures confirm that the county council treats its employees equally and ensures flexible, family-friendly working opportunities to encourage a good work/lifestyle balance."

Christine Durrant is one of the city's most senior female employees, as an assistant director in the city's regeneration department. She said: "I have always had people around me who are very supportive and I have been able to move on and get different experience."

Engineer Ms Durrant, responsible for highways and transportation, joined the authority in 1997 as principal traffic and transportation engineer, and was gradually given more responsibility, rising to head of transportation and then to assistant director level. With two young children, she knows the importance of the work-life balance, but said once she had set her mind to working full-time, she had no problems achieving it.

"It is a balance of being prepared to put yourself out when you need to, but also people appreciate that the most important thing in life is not work and that is a good culture to have."

Under Government rules, councils must keep track of how many women are among their top five per cent of earners. These figures show the city and county are within the top 10% of authorities for employing women in senior posts.

In the city, the top five per cent start at a salary of £34,207. In the county it is £38,500.

In the city, 272 of the 509 top earners are women. The city council has seen an increase in the number of women among its top 5% earners, from 49.2% in 2006-7, to 51.2% in 2007-8 and then 53.44% in 2008-9.

Councillor Mike Carr, city cabinet member for direct and internal services, said: "We promote a good work-life balance at the city council and our flexi-time system means people who have to put extra hours in on certain occasions get that time back."

The figures for the percentage of women employed in top positions in district authorities is much lower, however.

For the latest Audit Commission-audited figures covering 2008-08, just 11.11% of Amber Valley Borough Council's top earners were women. For Derbyshire Dales District Council it was 15.38%, Erewash Borough Council 33.33% and South Derbyshire District Council was 17.65%.

A spokesman for Amber Valley Borough Council said: "The council has a stable management team and few senior positions have become available in recent years. Amber Valley Borough Council's actual management team consists of six men and two women."

A Government equality spokeswoman said private sector companies should be following the example of Derby and Derbyshire councils.

"It is more important than ever that big businesses draw on all the talent available to them and the best way to do that is to employ women in the boardroom, not just on the shop floor," she said.

Under equality legislation, all councils have been ordered to check how much they pay workers to ensure similarly-qualified employees take home the same money. Bonuses traditionally paid to male workers in manual jobs are being scrapped. The move means some employees will get more money, and others less.