Workplace Gender Equality Agency

The Client

By equipping university students with the understanding to improve gender equality, Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) aims to change the Australian workplace for the better.

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency is the Federal statutory agency charged with promoting and improving gender equality in Australian workplaces.

Under the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, employers with 100 or more staff report to the agency annually on six gender equality indicators. This dataset, covering more than four million Australians, is a world-leading resource, mapping the landscape of workplace gender equality in Australia to assist in illuminating a path forward.

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency is also responsible for promoting public awareness and providing educational resources for improving gender equality in the workplace.

The Challenge

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency partnered with the UTS Business School EMBA team to investigate the design and development of a gender equality educational program for university students.

"Achieving gender equality requires a deeper understanding of how we construct the roles of women and men in society, we wanted to gain insights on what university students thought about the issue and how we might develop a program for universities to ensure that graduates have equal access to opportunities as they enter the workforce.” - Dr Heidi Sundin, Former Executive Manager, Education and Innovation, Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

The Solution

The UTS EMBA team conducted extensive research and consultation with students and academic staff on gender equality, they investigated programs being conducted by other leading institutes and conducted detailed stakeholder analysis on the issues and drivers of different university stakeholders.

The research indicated that while many students notionally believe in gender equality, they were largely unaware to many of the issues that exist in the workplace or how to address them.

The EMBA team recommended a comprehensive design for a university education program, which included an online program and 'curriculagender' mainstreaming course content. Academics would be provided with relevant tools and resources to see this embedded. WGEA has the opportunity to roll this program out to 32 universities, accounting for over 13,000 academics and more than 1.5 million students.

“The UTS EMBA team brought strategic thinking and challenge to an important Australian issue, and the insights provides fed into the continued development of the WGEA education program.”

- Dr Heidi Sundin, Former Executive Manager, Education and Innovation, Workplace Gender Equality Agency