What is the Gender Equality Act?
The Gender Equality Act aims to improve workplace gender equality across the Victorian public sector, universities and local government bodies.
Workplace gender equality is achieved when, regardless of gender, people can access and enjoy the same rewards, resources and opportunities.
The Gender Equality Act (“GE Act”) requires defined entities to address key drivers of gender inequality in the workplace, requiring that entities plan, measure and track progress towards workplace gender equality. They will do this by ensuring workplace transparency and accountability on a range of gender equality indicators.
What does it mean for my workplace?
The Act requires that all defined entities submit a Gender Equality Action Plan every four years.
Every workplace is at a different stage in its gender equality journey – some are building the foundations for gender equality, others are more advanced in their gender equality practice. Wherever you are on your journey, you need to design a Gender Equality Action Plan (“GEAP”), which will help you plan, implement and measure your workplace’s change.
A GEAP needs to include:
- the results of a workplace gender audit, to assess the current state of gender equality in the workplace; and
- strategies and measures to improve gender equality in the workplace, based on the results of the audit.
Workplaces must prepare, submit and publish a GEAP every four years. We are here to support you to do this.
