Australia’s first national benchmark for gender equity in tech has found many employers are making progress in supporting women in the workforce, but more targeted action is needed to retain them as they become more experienced.
The inaugural T-EDI Standards Impact Report, released by the Tech Council of Australia and Project F, identifies practical workplace changes that could help stem the loss of women from technical roles.
According to the benchmark, many organisations already have important gender equity measures in place, including flexible work arrangements, parental leave policies, defined salary ranges and executive-level diversity strategies. However, the report argues employers need to go further if they want to retain senior women in technical careers. Among its recommendations are redesigning technical roles so they can be performed part-time, introducing specific gender balance targets, and increasing pay transparency by sharing salary ranges with job candidates.
Organisations that collectively employ more than 900,000 Australians have signed up to the T-EDI Standards, which include 98 workplace standards that were first launched in 2024.
It gives employers a common benchmark to assess and track their own practices. In the 18 months since the Standards launched, half of participating organisations have made progress against their action plans. The report notes these changes can take time as they require changes to pay transparency, leadership accountability and work design.
Australia is currently working towards a goal of building a tech workforce of 1.2 million people by 2030. Tech Council of Australia CEO Kate Cornick said retaining women in technology is essential if Australia is to meet its tech workforce ambitions.
“Australia has a goal to reach 1.2 million tech workers by 2030,” Cornick said.
“Attracting and keeping experienced women in technical roles is essential to getting there. The T-EDI Standards give employers a practical way to see what is working and where the gaps are, and the Tech Council encourages more organisations to adopt them.”
The report builds on previous Tech Council research showing women make up 49 per cent of Australia’s overall workforce but just 20 per cent of its highly technical workforce. It also highlights that women leave technical roles at almost twice the rate of men after the age of 40.
“The sector has worked hard to bring women into tech, and this report shows how employers can help experienced women stay and progress once they are there,” Project F Founder Emma Jones said.
For Commonwealth Bank Executive General Manager, HR for Technology & AI, Jane Adams, the T-EDI assessment provided a useful external view on CommBank’s gender equity work in technology.
“The T-EDI assessment gave us an external perspective on work that is complex and multifaceted,” Adams said.
“We have been focused on gender equity in technology for some time, and the assessment let us step back and look at our efforts through a different lens. It has given leaders a common reference point and greater clarity on where we are making progress and where our collective attention can have the greatest impact.”
CEO of Future Skills Organisation Patrick Kidd can be helpful for employers because it provides a practical framework to support and retain women.
“In a fast-moving technology sector, employers need clear guidance on good practice. The T-EDI Standards create a common language, set out what works and give organisations a practical way to improve workplace practice over time.”
Feature image: Project F Founder Emma Jones (left) and Tech Council of Australia CEO Kate Cornick (right).