- Published by:
- Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector
- Date:
- 1 May 2025
This guidance is for organisations that are duty holders(opens in a new window) under the Gender Equality Act 2020 (the Act).
This guidance is designed to support duty holders in creating their 2026 gender equality action plan (GEAP).
This guidance is divided into three parts:
Part 1: Preparing to develop your GEAP
Part 1 of this guidance helps you plan for your GEAP and analyse and consult on your audit data.
This includes Step 1 - Step 3.
Part 2: Developing your GEAP
Part 2 of this guidance helps you develop and resource your GEAP, and consult on your strategies. It also provides instructions for submitting your GEAP via the reporting platform.
This includes Step 4 - Step 9.
Part 3: After submitting your GEAP
Part 3 of this guidance provides resources for what to do after you've submitted your GEAP.
This includes Step 10 - Step 13.
You can download the Word version of the 2026 Progress report guidance and the 2026 Progress report template on the right-hand side of the page above the menu.
Overview
Understand the objectives of the Act, benefits of your GEAP and your GEAP as a change process.
Using the GEAP guidance and template
Understand how to use the GEAP guidance and template, including what’s required and recommended, filling the cover page and attestation, and guidance on creating a designed version of your GEAP for publication.
GEAP requirements, changes between 2022 and 2026, and key dates
Understand the requirements under the Gender Equality Act, changes since 2022, and key dates.
Step 1: Planning your GEAP
Learn practical steps to progress gender equality, including learning from past experiences, understanding the basics, setting up for success, and learning from other duty holders.
Step 2: Analyse your audit data to identify forms of gender inequality
Ways to include your audit results in your GEAP and learn how to identify causes of inequality.
Step 3: Consult on your audit results
Learn about consulting on your audit results.
Step 4: Considering the GE and GPE principles and intersectionality
Learn ways to consider the gender equality principles, the gender pay equity principles and intersectionality.
Step 5: Make a case for change
Learn how to make a case for change that explains why gender equality matters at your organisation.
Step 6: Develop strategies and measures
Learn how to develop your strategies, how to set measures, including using the performance measures, setting targets and documenting your strategies and measures.
Step 7: Consult on your strategies
Learn about consulting on your strategies.
Step 8: Resource your GEAP
Learn about resourcing, including what skills are needed for implementing your GEAP.
Step 9: How to submit your GEAP
Learn how to submit your GEAP including extension requests and submitting on the reporting platform.
GEAP checklist
Use this checklist to make sure you have included all the requirements before submission.
Step 10: Meeting compliance and the compliance checking process
Understand how to meet compliance, including the assessment rubric, how the Commission will assess for compliance, the Commission’s feedback process and what to do while waiting for feedback.
Step 11: Communicate your GEAP to your organisation
Understand what you need to do to communicate your GEAP to key stakeholders.
Step 12: Monitoring and evaluation
Understand how to set up a monitoring system for your GEAP.
Step 13: Report on your gender equality progress and gender impact assessments (required)
Learn how to report on your GEAP progress and gender impact assessments.
Appendix
Information on maintaining privacy and confidentiality, and the full lists to the how-to guides and further reading.
Updated