The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has announced the list of 2018-19 WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation holders, hitting a record number.
A record-breaking 141 organisations have received the citation this year, which recognises employer commitment and best practice in promoting gender equality in Australia. There are 26 first-time recipients including the first-ever national sporting organisation: the Australian Football League. WGEA Director Libby Lyons said that the growth in the recipients showed increasing recognition by Australian employers that gender equality is not just good for business but gives organisations a competitive advantage.
Trends among this year’s recipients include entrenching flexible work across the organisation, programs to support women into leadership, tailored parental leave policies to support both women and men, initiatives to encourage women to return to work after a career break, supporting men’s caring responsibilities, setting targets to achieve gender-equal graduate recruitment intakes and robust analysis and correction of gender pay gaps.
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“More organisations are introducing strategies and policies to ensure women and men are equally valued and rewarded in their workplaces. Gender equality has become an important focus for Australian employers,” Ms Lyons said. “However, we also know that policies and strategies cannot just live on paper. They have to be implemented. Targets need to be set, outcomes monitored and managers, executives and boards made accountable for the results.”
“Our EOCGE citation does not signify that these employers have solved all of their gender equality issues. Rather, it recognises that they have embraced a rigorous and detailed programme to transform their workplaces. These leading employers know the importance of achieving gender equality for their employees and for their business and are implementing leading-practice measures to do so.”
This year’s citation holders range from small professional services firms to very large organisations. Male-dominated, female-dominated and mixed industries are all represented. These include companies like L’Oreal, AMEX Australia and Johnson & Johnson.
“Each year, I am delighted to see the innovative approaches taken by our citation holders in implementing actions and programmes that we know drives change,” Ms Lyons added. “I congratulate all of our 2018-19 EOCGE citation holders for being such important agents for change. They are leading the way forward for other Australian employers to follow.”
See the full list of recipients here.
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