Policy & Advocacy
AGEC plays a key role in advocating for gender equality through public advocacy and policy development in each of the key areas critical to women achieving gender equality in all aspects of work and life.
Budget & Election News
May 2024 – Federal Budget mixed and fails to deliver on gender equality
The Australian Gender Equality Council says the Federal Budget was mixed and fails to deliver on the intent of achieving gender equality in a generation. The budget confirmed funding for several gender equality initiatives in gender-based violence, under-paid care...
January 2024 – AGEC 2024 – 2025 Pre Budget Submission
AGEC has once again presented to government a comprehensive FY24-25 Pre Budget submission renewing calls for a National Gender Equality Strategy including $50m for long-term initiatives to identify and eliminate entrenched gender stereotypes, the root causes of so...
January 2023 – AGEC 2023-2024 Pre Budget Submission – Now is the Time for a Gender Equal Australia
The Australian Gender Equality Council's FY23-24 Pre Budget Submission has doubled down on the call for a formal national gender equality strategy through a comprehensive consultation process and consideration of the utility and complexity of existing legislation and...
2022 Election Candidate Pledge
AGEC is asking all candidates in the 2022 Federal Election to endorse its call for a National Gender Equality Strategy and take the AGEC Election Pledge. By taking the AGEC Pledge candidates will be supporting the call for a National Strategy and action on the key...
Free Universal Childcare – AGEC’s Top Federal Election Priority
Free universal childcare is one of AGEC's Key Priorities for this Federal Election. Free universal childcare will increase women's workforce participation, create a more equal distribution of caring responsibilities between men and women, and produce a net positive...
AGEC Election Scorecard
To read the Scorecard and learn more about AGEC’s Key Election Priorities click here.
Read the AGEC Media Release.
Policy Position Statements
Call for a National Strategy on Gender Equality
Australia has never had a national strategy on gender equality – one which comprehensively identifies and seeks to address all aspects of gender inequality as set out in AGEC’s Gender Equality Manifesto. Only when a comprehensive National Strategy is established by Government in collaboration with business and the broader community will Australia accelerate its pathway to achieving gender equality. Without a co-ordinated and integrated strategy, well-intended efforts to achieve gender equality will increasingly become hit and miss, and continue to focus only on addressing symptoms not the underlying causes of inequality.
To understand more about how AGEC would approach development of a National Strategy, and what must be considered, read our 2022 Election Key Priorities. #ItsTime
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
Government Reviews
March 2024 – National Gender Equality Strategy : Working for Women
AGEC has consistently advocated for successive governments to develop a truly comprehensive National Gender Equality Strategy, which address the causes not just the symptoms of gender inequality. The Federal Government's release in March 2024 of Working for Women is...
March 2022 – Workplace Gender Equality Act Review Recommendations Released
The Government has released the findings of its Review into the Workplace Gender Equality Act and its recommendations for change. The Report's recommendations follow many of the calls made for strengthening the powers of the WGEA in the consultation process in 2021,...
AGEC Submissions
January 2024 – AGEC 2024 – 2025 Pre Budget Submission
AGEC has once again presented to government a comprehensive FY24-25 Pre Budget submission renewing calls for a National Gender Equality Strategy including $50m for long-term initiatives to identify and eliminate entrenched gender stereotypes, the root causes of so...
April 2023 – AGEC Submission on National Gender Equality Strategy
AGEC presses the Government for a truly comprehensive National Strategy on Gender Equality addressing the root causes of gender inequality not just its symptoms. Importantly it must shift entrenched gender stereotypes through early childhood education, media and the...
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...
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...
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...
Media Releases
May 2024 – Federal Budget mixed and fails to deliver on gender equality
The Australian Gender Equality Council says the Federal Budget was mixed and fails to deliver on the intent of achieving gender equality in a generation. The budget confirmed funding for several gender equality initiatives in gender-based violence, under-paid care...
March 2024 – AGEC welcomes release of Working for Women the Federal Government’s Gender Equality Strategy
AGEC commends the Federal Government's National Gender Equality Strategy for demonstrating its ongoing commitment to improving gender equality in Australia. The strategy includes many of the initiatives AGEC has long advocated for, such as superannuation on paid...
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...