Current Activities and Projects
AGEC will achieve its mission through direct programs, targeted research, public advocacy and policy development as well as through support for the initiatives of other like-minded organisations. AGEC is currently involved in multiple initiatives. Explore what we are currently doing below.
Current Campaigns
AGEC Newsletters
AGEC Federal Election Newsletter#1 April 2022
The Director’s Blog
Each month an AGEC Board member provides a blog that reflects on current topics and key priorities for gender equality.
Gender Equality Lessons from Women on Boards
In July, 2021, with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and the University of Queensland (UQ), AGEC investigated how Australia had reached over 34% women on its ASX200 boards as well as implications for the future.
In this blog, Dr Terry Fitzsimmons, AGEC’s Managing Director and Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland Business School, explains what the study found and explores what we can learn from it in further gender equality in the workplace.
Respect@Work – what you can do today to drive change
Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame’s courageous story telling has ignited a fire within all of us who are working hard to shift societal and workplace attitudes to ensure safety and respect at work for everyone. This fire will not be extinguished by talk – only by action.
So how do we move from talk to action – what are the actions we can take as leaders in our own organisation TODAY?
In this blog Louise Weine explores the current context and attempt to provide you with links to useful resources and a clear pathway to action.
Lifting Australia’s gender equity performance: What we can salvage from a whirlwind 2021?
In our Inaugural Director’s Blog in May 2021 Tara Diamond considers how Australia is performing on gender equality.
What the events of the last year have taught us and where we need to focus to make real and lasting change in so many areas of work and life for women to achieve equality.
Policy Position Statements
Universal Childcare – the Power to Transform our Economy
The 2021 Federal Budget was a missed opportunity for significant economic reform — something that would inject billions of dollars into the Australian economy and a significant step toward achieving true gender equality in the workplace. The economic argument for universal early childhood education is strong; what makes it compelling is the opportunity for step change for gender equality and providing Australian children with quality early learning for a better future. AGEC believes this a once in a lifetime opportunity to use stimulus measures for longer term economic reform. #ItsTime
AGEC calls for Decisive Action to end Sexual Harassment
The Australian Gender Equality Council believes all people must be respected and be safe from the threat of violence and sexual harassment. We call upon the Prime Minister, National Cabinet and every elected Member of Parliament to act against gendered violence in the Parliamentary workplace as an example to every Australian workplace. All 55 recommendations of the Sex Discrimination Commissioner’s 2020 Report must be implemented as a top priority, and the government must ratify the International Convention on eliminating violence and harassment at work. #ItsTime
News
September 2022 – AGEC Submission on Parliamentary Standards
AGEC's submission to the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards emphasises the need for developing codes of conduct for Commonwealth parliamentarians, parliamentary staff and parliamentary workplaces which set the highest standards of conduct to ensure...
May 2022 – AGEC Publishes 2022 Federal Election Scorecard
Today, the Australian Gender Equality Council (AGEC), an independent non-partisan organisation representing over 500,000 women across 24 industry and community sectors, released its Australian Federal Election 2022 AGEC Women’s Scorecard. The Scorecard provides a...
April 2022 – AGEC’s Announces 2022 Federal Election Priorities – Women Must Remain a Priority
AGEC is demanding women remain a priority for the future Government with the release of its key priorities for the 2022 Federal Election. As the major parties focus their election campaigns on winning marginal seats, Australian women eagerly await each party’s...
March 2022 – Federal Budget 2022-2023 – Morrison once again stunningly silent in addressing the needs of women in this year’s budget
Despite more than two years of Australian women and women’s advocacy groups speaking out, how is it that the Morrison Government continues to get it so wrong in addressing the systemic issues surrounding women in this country? With the handing down of the Federal...
March 2022 – Draft National Plan for the Prevention of Violence against Women and Children falls short of expectations
AGEC's submission on the draft National Plan for the Prevention of Violence against Women and Children sends a strong message that it falls far short of expectations. Though the draft National Plan reflects a sound understanding of the prevalence, drivers and...
February 2022 – AGEC calls on the Prime Minister to take decisive action
The Australian Gender Equality Council (AGEC) today calls on the Prime Minister, National Cabinet and every elected Member of Parliament to take decisive action to end gendered violence and promote gender equality across Australia. AGEC supports the many women,...
December 2021 – AGEC Horrified by Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces Review Findings
Australian Gender Equality Council (AGEC) revealed its horror at the findings of Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins' Review into parliamentary workplace culture and has called for the urgent implementation of all 28 recommendations. The review found that...
November 2021 – AGEC Submission to the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012
AGEC has made a comprehensive submission to the Review of the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012. The Government announced in the Women’s Budget Statement 2021-22 a review of the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012, including whether the Agency (WGEA) has appropriate...
June 2021 – How did the Federal Budget measure up against AGEC’s Gender Equality Manifesto?
Our assessment is “Needs Improvement”.
Though the Budget took some important steps to recognise the issues facing women in Australia today, it was a missed opportunity for significant structural and economic reform to achieve a gender-equal society.
The key women’s initiatives in the Budget are welcomed but do not go far enough, and are unlikely to provide the long term structural change needed to achieve gender equality.
$3.4 billion towards women is less than 1% of overall budget, far short of what it could and should be.
March 2021 – AGEC calls on Government to bring back the Women’s Budget Statement
AGEC calls on the government to re-introduce a Women's Budget Statement, apply a gender lens to all government policies and enact a Federal Gender Equality Act. In March AGEC campaigned with other leading advocates in the March4Justice, calling for immediate adoption...
Current Projects
August 2022 – AGEC & NAWIC Partner UQ in COVID-19 Report
UQ Business School has released a comprehensive Report on the impact of COVID-19 on women. The study undertaken with the support of AGEC and, one of its founding members, NAWIC, reveals the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Australian women and provides...
AGEC instrumental in groundbreaking report – Towards Board Gender Parity
Australian Gender Equality Council (AGEC) is proud to launch the Towards Board Gender Parity report, which showcases how Australia has now reached 30% of women on boards, making it one of three countries to do so without the imposition of legislated quotas. AGEC...
Leading Workplace Practice in Gender Equality – Study Report
The definitive Report on how to implement gender equality in the workplace sets out the findings of a comprehensive study led by AGEC CEO, Dr Terry Fitzsimmons and Director of UQ’s AIBE Centre for Gender Equality in the Workplace, together with Dr Miriam Yates and...
Hands Up for Gender Equality –Major Study into Confidence and Career Intentions of Adolescent Girls and Boys Dec 2018
In partnership with the UQ Business School and the Alliance of Girl Schools Australasia, AGEC released its inaugural Report on this world-first research piece setting out the facts about gender differences in adolescent children. Based on a comprehensive study of 10,000 school girls and boys, the study revealed about girl’s confidence levels and important information about ongoing gender influences in our children’s career intentions. The study’s results provide key insights that require further study to inform how we tackle persistent gender inequality going forward. A second report on the results of this study is due for release later in 2019
AGEC Seeks Support for National HUGE Study
Building on the success of the Hands Up for Gender Equality Study and Report, AGEC and AIBE Center for Gender Equality in the Workplace, have developed a proposal to undertake a comprehensive National Study into boys and girls confidence, leadership and career intentions. AGEC and AIBE are seeking assistance and co-operation from the Federal and State Governments to undertake the National Study and financial contributions from business and government to carry it out. The Study aligns with the STEM Decadal plan and has received positive responses from many parts of the community and our Member Organisations. This comprehensive National Study will provide important evidence on which to base school and community based initiatives to eliminate gender bias in our schooling system and community.
Modelling the gender pay gap and superannuation outcomes for women
Collaborating with FINSIA, the WGEA and the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law at UQ, AGEC will model the causes and impact of the gender pay and superannuation gap. It will undertake analysis of the contributing factors to form the basis of recommended changes to government policy and workplace practice.