Swinburne commitment to gender equality recognised for tenth consecutive year
In Summary
- Swinburne recognised as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality tenth year running
- A number of programs and initiatives are enhancing gender equality at the university
- The Workplace Gender Equality Agency recognises Swinburne as an agent of change
Swinburne has been recognised by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) for the tenth consecutive year.
This citation reinforces Swinburne’s commitment to enhancing workplace gender equality within the university and, more broadly, in Australia.
Swinburne’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Linda Kristjanson AO, says Swinburne is dedicated to working towards gender equity and supports flexibility and equal opportunity for all staff.
“Swinburne is committed to fostering a culture of gender equity and inclusion. We value and embrace the strength that diversity brings to the university, and we are proud of the programs and initiatives in place to support our gender equity goals,” Professor Kristjanson says.
“At Swinburne, we encourage all staff to participate in the journey towards gender equity, no matter their gender, cultural background, stage of life or sexual orientation.”
Advancing gender equality over ten years
Across the ten years Swinburne has been awarded the WGEA citation, the university has committed to advancing gender equality through a range of programs and initiatives.
In 2018, Swinburne’s commitment to an in-depth analysis and action plan towards gender equity as part of the Science in Gender Equity Australia (SAGE) pilot, and was recognised with a SAGE Athena SWAN Bronze Award.
“The Athena SWAN Bronze Award recognises the research and efforts taken to improve gender equity at Swinburne, and our collaboration to support transformational change as part of the broader STEMM community,” says Professor Kristjanson.
Swinburne has also been involved in the Women Attaining Leadership Program (WATTLE), designed to provide women in the university sector with the network and skills to move into leadership roles. The program’s founders include Swinburne’s Professor Virginia Kilborn and Professor Helana Scheepers.
Other gender equality initiatives introduced at Swinburne include:
- Supporting and encouraging men to take up flexible work arrangements and parental leave
- Providing five Vice-Chancellor’s Women in STEM research fellowships in applied mathematics, chemical sciences, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering and engineering
- Pursuing donor-sponsored scholarship opportunities for women in STEM disciplines.
- Establishing diversity targets for the university’s Engineering Practice Academy for staff and students.
Professor Kristjanson says the university will continue to demonstrate its commitment to gender equality.
“Our goal is to be Australia’s leading university for inclusion, and Swinburne’s focus on gender equality is just one aspect of this. While we are proud of our success, we also know there is more work to do.”
Acknowledgement from the WGEA Director
“We have awarded a record 140 EOCGE citations this year. All of our 2018-19 EOCGE citation holders are at different stages of their gender equality journey. What unites them is their determination and commitment to achieving workplace gender equality, says the WGEA Director, Libby Lyons.
“I congratulate all of these organisations for being agents of change, leading the way forward for other Australian employers to follow.”