Promoting gender equality

Certain organisations (‘duty holders’) must promote gender equality. This is a requirement under the Gender Equality Act 2020.

This means you need to consider, promote and take positive action towards achieving gender equality when developing and delivering policies, programs and services that have an impact on the public.

When taking positive actions, you should consider what is ‘necessary and proportionate’ to addressing the issue and advancing gender equality.

See the case study at the bottom of this page for an example of ’positive action’.

In part, organisations fulfill their duty to achieve gender equality when they complete gender impact assessments, audits and gender equality action plans. However, all organisations can take further practical steps to promote gender equality.

How to promote gender equality

The best way to achieve lasting and widespread change is through a whole-of-organisation approach. This includes:

• embedding gender equality into your organisation's policies, systems and processes
• creating a supportive workplace culture
• building staff capacity to support gender equality.

There are many actions your organisation can take to promote gender equality. For example:

Embed a gender lens into all work

• Provide gender analysis training across your organisation. This will support staff to undertake gender impact assessments (GIA).
• Consider existing policies, programs and services that could be reviewed with a gender lens outside of the legislated requirements for GIAs. For example, those that do not have a direct and significant impact on the public.
• Apply gender equality evaluation criteria when procuring goods and services, or when providing funding or grants to organisations.
• Consider how you brief external consultants about gender equality, and how you factor it into contracts.
• Consider the gendered impacts of any budgets developed for new policies, programs and services.
• Establish a cross-organisational gender equality steering group to resource, monitor and review work.
• Integrate gender equality into organisational frameworks and strategic documents.
• Develop a gender equality statement for your organisation, which commits to taking action to promote gender equality.
• Introduce standing items on meeting agendas or points in terms-of-reference that encourage reflection and action on gender equality. This could be, for example, in decision-making processes, the delegation of tasks, and how ideas are credited.
• Embed gender equitable practices at training sessions, such as having a gender equality statement of commitment or code of conduct.
• Consider how internal reporting templates can include gender equality questions or prompts.

Build organisational awareness

• Have leaders regularly communicate the importance of considering and promoting gender equality through policies, programs and services.
• Encourage organisational heads to role model authentic and inclusive leadership both through their internal and external messaging and their day-to-day actions.
• Provide relevant awareness and sensitivity training for all staff. This training should be tested to ensure its effectiveness. Embed this in the annual training calendar. This could include training on:
  • gender equality
  • gender identity and sexual orientation
  • sexual harassment
  • cultural safety
  • intersectionality
  • bystander action
  • equal opportunity.
• Use imagery and language in publications, public campaigns, advertisements or social media that challenges gender stereotypes, and promotes gender equality and diversity.
• Embed a gender equality statement of commitment and relevant key performance indicators in job descriptions, job performance criteria and recruitment and selection processes.

Strengthen community and stakeholder engagement

• Build a gender equality stakeholder map or strategy. Ensure that your organisation has strong partnerships with local and/or state-wide gender equality organisations to help drive gender equality. For example, women’s health organisations.
• Ensure robust and transparent complaints processes are in place to allow community members to communicate gender inequality-related concerns with service delivery.
• Establish mechanisms to routinely assess consumer/community needs and community consultation feedback by gender.
• Build community awareness by ensuring gender balance in celebrating achievements.
• Ensure visibility of intersectional gender equality in community engagement processes, rather than conflating it into broader diversity themes.

Promoting gender equality in your organisation

Our ‘Case for Change’ slide pack supports you to brief leadership teams, and your organisation’s employees, on their obligations under the Gender Equality Act 2020.

The slide pack includes:

• the history of the Gender Equality Act 2020
• an overview of your organisation’s obligations
• the legislative requirement to dedicate adequate resourcing to support the Act’s implementation
• our Commissioner’s role.

There are three versions of the slide pack you can download:

A Powerpoint presentation

A PDF version that uses our branding

A PDF version that you can use with your own organisation’s templates and branding