Laying the Foundation for Gender Equality in the Public Sector – The University of Melbourne 2022

Laying the Foundation for Gender Equality in the Public Sector – The University of Melbourne

The research team

• Associate Professor Alysia Blackham
• Professor Beth Gaze
• Professor Leah Ruppanner
• Professor Susan Ainsworth
• Doctoral Researcher and Research Project Manager Lauren Ryan

Research assistants:

• Eileen Yang
• Rosalind Scasserra
• Sum Kiu Shu
• Lloyd Rouse

How was the research conducted?

The research team:

• analysed data from publicly available sources, including government and industry reports
• reviewed academic articles
• interviewed 44 gender practitioners, consultants and public sector employees.

They examined:

• how the development of the Act evolved
• the social, economic and political conditions that encouraged the Act's adoption
• how the Act is being implemented by the Commission and organisations (defined entities)
• what we can learn from the experiences of other jurisdictions.

The team identified risks and opportunities and provided recommendations.

What did the research find?

The adoption of the Act

The Act resulted from the Royal Commission into Family Violence. It had support from influential individuals and organisations. This included academics, trade unions and the women’s health sector. Consultations resulted in a stronger Act, including the creation of an independent commissioner. The research found compromises were also made, including to limit it to the public sector. Interviewees recognised the legislation needed to start somewhere.

The implementation of the Act

Most interviewees believed the Gender Equality Act is a highly effective way to improve gender equality in Victoria.

A lack of resourcing was a key challenge for the Commission and for organisations covered by the Act. COVID-19 created additional challenges.

The research found that most of the people doing the work under the Act are women. They are often employed through short-term contracts at junior levels. Many found it difficult to persuade senior managers (often men) of the importance of this work. Job insecurity and the challenges of COVID-19 led to high levels of stress and burnout.

Other common concerns were the lack of support from leaders and resistance to change. Many struggled to understand and apply ideas of intersectionality.

Interviewees said the support, resources and information from the Commission had been highly valuable and appreciated. Many also noted the demands placed on the Commission. They identified ways the Commission could better tailor its support.

The future of the Act

The research looked at similar legislation in Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Canada. It found the focus on compliance led to ‘tick box’ responses in some cases. In contrast, Victoria’s Act requires reasonable and material progress. Beyond a focus on compliance, this supports substantive change.

Progress will also hinge on the Commission being willing and able to use its powers in the case of non-compliance.

The experience of other countries shows that confusion about requirements is common, especially early in implementation. This shows the need for target, tailored and practical support.

Recommendations

For the Victorian Government

• Conduct ongoing reviews of the Act and consider how to extend its reach.
• Provide resources and financial support for the Commission and defined entities.
• Investigate sector-wide data systems support.

For the Commission

• Continue to help organisations resource and plan for their work under the Act.
• Develop more support and guidance materials, including examples.
• Communicate lessons learned so far.
• Develop nationally aligned approaches to workplace gender equality data and intersectional data.
• Fund future research projects.

For organisations

• Ensure leaders are accountable and commit adequate resourcing to deliver the Act.
• Conduct continuous reviews of the implementation of the obligations under the Act.

Read the full report

Citing this research

Ryan et al., ‘Laying the foundation for gender equality in the public sector’, The University of Melbourne, 2022, https://doi.org/10.26188/6260c148655d5