December 8, 2016

Double success for UOW in gender equality

UOW and UOWE lead the way in gender equality.  

The University of Wollongong (UOW) along with UOW Enterprises, which includes UOW College, has once again been recognised by the Federal Government as one of the best workplaces in Australia for gender equality.

For the second year in a row, UOW has received the Employer of Choice Gender Equity (EOCGE) citation by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) for leading the way in gender equality.

UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings CBE said the University has a proud history of gender equality and is committed to continually improving the experience of its valued employees.

“Not only is gender equality critical to an organisation’s success, it is also crucial for society as a whole,” he said.

“Current research estimates that closing the gender pay gap in Australia will boost GDP by 20 per cent and the University is committed to improving workforce equity in representation, pay and conditions across the institution. We believe that companies and communities thrive with diverse perspectives and flexibility in thinking, which leads to higher levels of creativity and innovation.”

Earlier this year UOW announced the 2016 Women of Impact initiative, recognising the outstanding contributions to research and teaching by women across all academic levels and disciplines. UOW also launched the Senior Academic Women’s Leadership Program during 2016 and hosted a TEDxUWollongong event themed, ‘Women: It’s about time’.

“At UOW, we are continually developing strategies, programs and initiatives to promote equality in our workforce and these activities are starting to pay dividends. Achieving the Employer of Choice Citation again in 2016 is a great acknowledgement of the progress being made,” Professor Wellings said.

These activities form part of UOW’s approach to the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) pilot. The SAGE pilot is based on the successful UK Athena SWAN model, an accreditation and improvement program that recognises commitment to advancing women’s careers in traditionally male-dominated disciplines.

UOW is an inaugural member of the SAGE pilot project and is committed to upholding the ten principles of the Athena SWAN Charter, aimed at further enhancing opportunities for women in academia.

Other policies, strategies and initiatives that UOW actively promotes in order to enhance gender equality include mentoring workshops, targeted development programs, flexible work arrangements (such as part time and job sharing) generous paid parental leave and on campus childcare facilities.