President Barack Obama is considering putting more women at the top of senior government positions, including in the Veterans Administration and the Federal Reserve, according to a senior administration official.

The White House and several other agencies have been working on plans to add more women to senior posts for decades, and the effort could be completed by next year, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the plans.

Obama has proposed to increase the number of women in key positions at the Veterans Affairs department, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

He has also proposed that the National Labor Relations Board include more women in its decision-making.

A senior administration source told The Hill that a White House team is working with agencies to develop plans to bring more women on boards and committees.

The official did not identify specific women who could be tapped to lead the Federal Financial Services Commission, which oversees banking.

Officials are also considering adding women to positions in the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, according the source, who also spoke on condition that the White House not be identified because of sensitive plans.

A similar effort was underway in the Clinton administration and a similar effort under President George W. Bush, the source said.

At the same time, the White’s plan to increase women in senior positions in federal agencies has been criticized by a number of groups, including Planned Parenthood, the National Partnership for Women and Families, and National Nurses United.