Victoria is the first and only jurisdiction in Australia to have formally integrated intersectionality into equality law. The Gender Equality Act 2020 (Vic) reflects the Victorian Government’s commitment to ensuring that no Victorian is left behind when it comes to addressing the overlapping systemic and structural drivers of gender inequality. This acknowledgement is critical, as it recognises the diversity of lived experience across Victoria – without it, those most vulnerable in our community will continue to be disproportionately impacted by gender inequality.
Last year, the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector released Victoria’s first ever public sector Baseline Report, which highlighted key data from the first workplace gender audits completed under the Act in 2021.
I am pleased to present the Commission’s Intersectionality Report - Intersectionality at Work: Building a baseline on compounded gender inequality in the Victorian public sector, a companion to the Baseline Report.
This report demonstrates Victoria’s leadership in championing intersectional gender equality, a key theme of Our equal state: Victoria’s gender equality strategy and action plan 2023-2027.
This report analyses workforce and survey data about employees who experience compounding forms of disadvantage and discrimination. It also incorporates key findings and recommendations from intersectional research funded by the Victorian Government.
Thank you to the organisations who collected and submitted this crucial information, as well as the researchers who have helped build the evidence base regarding intersectional gender equality in Victoria’s public sector workplaces. I look forward to sharing these findings and recommendations widely as Victorian public sector organisations prepare to report on their gender equality action plan progress and Victoria strengthens its position as a leader in advancing intersectional gender equality.
We want to ensure that the voices of all Victorians, especially those that are marginalised, are heard so we can all live in a fair and equal state.
The Hon Natalie Hutchins MP
Minister for Women
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