This year, 17 organisations including Woolworths and biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, have been recognised with a citation for their efforts as employers promote gender equality in their workplaces.
The employers have joined a group of 119 organisations that have already been given the Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation, as distributed by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).
The two-year citation, first awarded in 2014 by the WGEA, is designed to encourage, recognise and promote active commitment to achieving gender equality in Australian workplaces.
Woolworths, Australia’s largest private employer, and AstraZeneca, responsible for manufacturing one of the COVID-19 vaccines, are both first-time recipients of the citation. Other organisations that are new citation holders include Queensland Law Society, Johnson & Johnson, GHD and the NRMA.
The WGEA said there are five trends among this year’s citation recipients. These include efforts to entrench flexible work, programs to support women into leadership, parental leave policies for men and women, supporting men’s caring responsibilities and robust analysis of gender pay gaps.
Libby Lyons, director of the WGEA, said the organisations should be applauded for their commitment to gender equality while also coping with the operational impacts of the pandemic.
“The WGEA EOCGE citation is recognised as a rigorous guide for employers to implement leading-practice initiatives to achieve gender equality in their workplaces,” Lyons said.
“2020 was a very challenging year for all employers. Yet, despite the tremendous upheaval and disruption caused to Australian businesses by the COVID-19 pandemic, these organisations maintained a resolute commitment to achieving their EOCGE citation.
“We know that gender equality is good for business and crucial to our post-COVID-19 economic recovery. By driving better gender equality outcomes in their workplaces, these EOCGE citation holders are setting a fine example in showing the way forward for other Australian businesses.”
These are the 17 new citation holders:
Arup Australia Services Pty Ltd
AstraZeneca Pty Ltd
ASX Limited
Bank of Queensland Limited
Charter Hall Holdings Pty Limited
GHD Pty Ltd
IMB Ltd
Individual Empowerment Network Pty Ltd
Johnson & Johnson Pty Ltd
MAX Solutions
Motorola Solutions Australia Pty Ltd
NRMA Limited
Pernod Ricard Winemakers Pty Ltd
Pitt & Sherry (Operations) Pty Ltd
Queensland Law Society Inc
Sanofi-Aventis
Woolworths Group Limited
A list of the other 119 citation holders can be found here.