DCA believes there is consensus for targets for women in leadership positions
Diversity Council Australia believes there is consensus for the establishment of industry-specific gender targets for women on boards and in executive, senior and middle management.
DCA made the claim at a recent Diversity Leadership Briefing on the review of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act and Agency, echoing its submission to the review where it called for the Act to be re-written.
DCA CEO Nareen Young told the briefing, attended by leading employers, that at last Australian business is acknowledging the lag in gender equality and considering possibilities for more effective remedies.
“In the 20 years since the Affirmative Action Act was implemented, women’s participation in the labour market has changed significantly. However, public policy and supporting regulations have failed to keep pace with these fundamental changes,” Ms Young said.
“There is now broad consensus amongst our members that industry-based goals or targets for employers to aim for when developing workplace programs are warranted to help progress workplace equity for women more quickly,” Ms Young said.
Dr Anne Summers AO who spoke at the event agrees. “Targets of this kind being proposed – disclosable, measurable, reported against – would be a far more effective step in achieving change than anything that has previously existed in Australian legislation.”
DCA is the leading not-for-profit business advisory group on diversity in the country with around 100 members, many of whom are Australia’s biggest employers.
DCA believes the 18 recommendations contained in its review submission will improve the situation for women. In addition to targets, they also include:
- Establish an Office of Women’s Employment (OWE);
- Improve and refine reporting obligations;
- Introduce fines and more public ‘outing’ of organisations who fail to comply;
- Give the new OWE a pay equity function; and
- Speed up the introduction of paid parental leave.
DCA said these recommendations are supported by leading employers which helped formulate DCA’s submission to the review.
DCA made its submission to the review following research, exhaustive consultations with members and contributions from experts Sam Mostyn, Dr Anne Summers AO, Katy McDonald and Dr Graeme Russell.
DCA said while the Act has improved the position for women to a degree, there are many challenges that remain for women at work including industry and employment segregation, lack of leadership opportunities, inflexible job design and problems combining work and caring.
A full copy of the submission is available on the DCA website:
http://www.dca.org.au/Performance/Publicationsandresources/DCAsubmissions.aspx