Targets pilot research project update

Second deliberative forum held in September

In September, duty holders, researchers, the Office for Women and the Commission came together at a research forum hosted at the University of Melbourne.

The forum was part of a research project, Setting, implementing and achieving gender equality targets. The research looks at how gender equality targets can work in the Victorian public sector.

The forum included an introduction to the project by Dr Kate Farhall from the Commission. Dr Gosia Mikolajczak from the research team shared a presentation. The presentation summarised evidence drawn from workforce audit data and People matter surveys, organisational policy documents and stakeholder interviews conducted by the research team. Forum participants then discussed the interim project findings. They shared insights on how targets can most effectively drive meaningful progress.

The key themes of the forum were:

• achieving and maintaining gender balance in senior leadership
• increasing uptake of parental leave among men
• tailoring targets to organisational context and intersectionality.

This was the second deliberative forum held as part of the research project. An earlier forum was held in June 2025.

This project is funded by the Commission. It is led by Professor Michelle Ryan, Director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at the Australian National University.

Final project report to be launched in 2027

The final report will provide recommendations to help organisations achieve gender equality targets. The report will be launched in the first half of 2027.

It will include recommendations for setting and implementing targets from Our Equal State: Victoria’s gender equality strategy and action plan 2023–2027(opens in a new window). These targets are:

• halve the gender pay gap in the Victorian public sector within 5 years
• reach gender equality in senior leadership positions in each portfolio within 5 years
• double the number of men taking paid parental leave in the Victorian public sector.

The final report will also include recommendations for setting and implementing targets in relation to each of the 7 workplace gender equality indicators under the Act. It will provide advice to organisations about how to effectively develop and achieve targets in their workplace. And, it will provide advice to the Commissioner for scoping future target-setting under the Act.

More information

Read more about the targets pilot research project and its earlier findings⁠.