Gender equality is not only a matter of fairness. It is also essential for good governance and strong workplace performance. Public sector organisations deliver essential services and make decisions that affect communities across Victoria. They rely on capable, inclusive and high-performing workforces.
When workplaces provide fair pay, equitable opportunities for progression, safe environments free from sexual harassment, and better support for flexible work and caring responsibilities, staff are better able to contribute fully and perform at their best. In this way, advancing gender equality benefits public sector organisations directly while also improving the quality of services and outcomes they deliver for Victorians.
This report showcases the key activities we have delivered in 2025-26, as we work to drive impact as a best practice regulator. Our focus has been on supporting compliance, building the evidence base, and promoting gender equality in the public sector workforce and the wider Victorian community.
I’m particularly proud of the milestone we reached this year, with the submission and analysis of 2025 audit data. Building on 2021 and 2023 audits, we now have 3 sector-wide audits spanning 5 years. This data provides the most comprehensive longitudinal gender equality dataset for Victoria’s public sector. It provides the clearest picture yet of where progress is occurring and where stronger action is still needed. This data creates a new level of transparency and accountability across the public sector.
For the first time, we can see the scale and direction of change across the sector since the Gender Equality Act commenced.
The Gender Equality Act establishes a 4-year reporting and compliance cycle. Our work program, outputs and impact vary throughout this cycle. In 2025-26, the Commission had an increased focus on statutory compliance functions including obligation submissions and compliance checking.
This year, 3 separate reporting obligations were due to be submitted to me by duty holders (or ‘defined entities’). We received 2025 audit submissions in December 2025 from around 300 duty holders. In March 2026, we delivered compliance feedback on audits within our target timeframes. And in May 2026, we received progress reports and new 4-year gender equality action plans. Compliance feedback will be delivered for these 550 obligations in October 2026.
We dedicated significant resources to compliance assessment to ensure we could deliver quality, timely compliance assessments and feedback. The full impact of this work is expected to become evident in the next reporting cycle.
Artificial intelligence presents new opportunities for potential efficiencies in how we work. We have begun exploring AI tools and capabilities this year. I expect that this preliminary work will be a critical foundation for our future AI policy, tools and processes – which will be implemented with appropriate safeguards and transparency.
As an independent statutory officer funded through a department, I do not control resourcing of this office. In 2025-26 the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing reduced the Commission’s budget allocation substantially. The reduction required a restructure, taking my office down to 10.5 full-time equivalent staff. This had a large impact, especially as it followed the non-renewal of lapsing funding for GIA work in the previous year that had resulted in the loss of 3 positions. In December 2025 I wrote to department Secretaries setting out how a gendered lens should be applied to major organisational change. The Commission’s own restructure provides a practical illustration of why this matters. Where the gendered impacts of decisions affecting regulatory capacity are not explicitly assessed, those consequences may not be visible to decision-makers.
The functions of my office are conferred by the Gender Equality Act 2020. They are not reduced by a change in appropriation. In the same year that our capacity was significantly reduced, 3 separate reporting obligations fell due, enquiries from duty holders rose by more than 50%, and the first longitudinal dataset for Victoria’s public sector became available for analysis.
I have prioritised the Commission’s statutory compliance functions. Compliance assessment has been, and will continue to be, delivered on time and to standard. This was achieved by deferring other regulatory work, including the redevelopment of gender impact assessment guidance, work to make the dispute resolution function under the Act accessible and effective, our PhD Program, the development of further GIA case studies, and proactive media activity. I also visited far fewer duty holder organisations than in previous years. The risk is not that obligations went unassessed this year. It is that the regulatory mechanisms the Act provides beyond the reporting cycle are not being developed at the pace the sector needs. We have limited capacity to provide industry-specific gender impact assessment guidance, promote my dispute resolution function, or pursue gender equality levers in funding and procurement. I have raised the implications of this with the Minister and with the Secretary.
I thank the Commission’s staff, duty holders, researchers, partners and stakeholders for their work and commitment over the past year. Together, we are helping build a Victorian public sector that is more equal, more inclusive and better equipped to serve all Victorians.
Dr Niki Vincent
Public Sector Gender Equality Commissioner
Updated