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
February 2025 – AGEC 2025 – 2026 Pre Budget Submission
AGEC's FY25-26 Pre Budget submission cautions that now is not the time to take the focus off gender equality initiatives which will deliver a stronger Australian economy and community. The comprehensive submission calls for real and lasting transformation by...
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...
Policy Position Statements
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 root causes of inequality.
AGEC’s 25-26 Pre budget Submission outlines what a National Strategy would encompass.
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
Reviews & Submissions
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,...
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...