Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's department is paying a feminist "change agent" almost $200,000 to conduct a three-month "cultural audit" to find and weed out any unconscious bias against women.

The $187,550 contract is the latest of 36 federal government contracts awarded to Deborah May over the past six years, totalling just over $2 million. The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet spending comes despite Secretary Martin Parkinson's insistence this week his workforce does not discriminate against women.

Deborah May has been described as a "feminist guru". Credit:Canberra CityNews

The department says while women make up 66 per of its workforce it believes Ms May's work can help it to do better.

"The purpose of this audit is to determine if everyone in PM&C has an equal opportunity to contribute and achieve their potential, and to identify any unconscious biases that may affect individuals or groups," a spokesperson said.