For the nineteenth consecutive year, UTS has been recognised as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).
Among the 136 Australian organisations to receive the EOCGE in 2021, UTS is one of only three universities to have been consistently recognised as an Employer of Choice in this area since the citation began in 2002*.
‘After a year which saw women disproportionally affected by COVID – with impacts in finance, long-term economic security, and rates of workforce participation – it is crucial that organisations and institutions now increase our focus on reducing the gender pay gap and improving equality,’ said UTS Vice-Chancellor Attila Brungs.
‘While we are proud of our long history of putting in place measures to increase gender equity, there is so much more to be done to achieve equality. The citation is both a recognition, but also a driver of further change as we must acknowledge that there are many barriers still to dismantle.’
Last year, UTS joined several universities and industry partners in signing a joint statement recognising the gendered nature of COVID-19’s effects, and pledging not to allow this to undo gender equity gains.
The statement laid out commitments in actions to maintain existing gender equity and diversity programs, including KPIs attached to these programs, along with formal monitoring of workforce participation rates across faculties and levels of seniority.
Criteria for the 2021 EOCGE citation covered leadership, learning and development, gender remuneration gaps, flexible working and other initiatives to support family responsibilities, employee consultation, preventing sex-based harassment and discrimination, and targets for improving gender equality outcomes.
‘The WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation is recognised as a rigorous and sophisticated guide for employers to implement leading-practice initiatives designed to achieve gender equality in their workplace’ said WGEA Director Libby Lyons.
‘Despite the tremendous upheaval and disruption caused to Australian businesses by the COVID-19 pandemic, these dedicated organisations maintained an unswerving commitment to achieving their EOCGE citation.
‘I want to sincerely thank and acknowledge these employers for their extraordinary efforts in these trying times. We know that gender equality is good for business and crucial to our post-COVID-19 economic recovery. By driving better gender equality outcomes in their workplaces, these EOCGE citation holders are showing the right way forward for other Australian businesses.’
*In 2002 the Award began as the EOWA Employer of Choice for Women. It was replaced by the WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality Award in 2014.