Equal Opportunity On Line Training Module 3: Staff & Student Equity

Equal Opportunity For Women In The Workplace

The federal government's Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 (formerly known as the Affirmative Action Act) requires employers, including institutions of higher education, to implement programs which promote equal opportunity for women and which eliminate the possibility of direct and indirect discrimination against women in employment. Organisations must report annually on these programs and the effect they have had on women's employment.

The aim of equal opportunity for women in the workplace legislation is to ensure that all employees are:

• Treated with fairness and respect
• Given equal access to the opportunities available at work, on the basis of merit
• Not subject to discrimination and harassment in the workplace

Equal opportunity for women in the workplace legislation covers the following areas:

• Recruitment and selection
• Promotion, transfer and termination of employment
• Training and development
• Work organisation
• Conditions of service
• Arrangements for dealing with sex-based harassment
• Arrangements for dealing with pregnant and potentially pregnant employees, and employees who are breastfeeding

Do we still need equal opportunity for women in higher education?

Yes. "Research provides evidence of the continuing pattern of disadvantage characterising women's employment in universities. This disadvantage is a part of broader labour market patterns which require sector wide responses. There remains considerable under representation of women at senior levels within universities and in traditionally male occupations and disciplines. For academic and general staff, the lower earnings of women cannot be explained by differences in qualifications, experience or job content. (Probert et al 1998)." Australian Vice- Chancellors' Committee's Action Plan for Women Employed In Australian Universities, 1999 to 2003.

Equal opportunity in practice implies thinking broadly about what merit means, how it gets defined and by whom. Equal opportunity means challenging stereotypes and looking closely at what we do, ensure there are no hidden barriers to employment, promotion and access to opportunities.

Equal Opportunity is not about quotas. It is not about discrimination in favour of women.

Policy changes and innovative programs have not yet produced the extent of cultural change required. While formal policies and procedures can be changed quickly, informal values and expectations change very slowly. Research indicates it is not the qualifications, experience or abilities of women but the culture of organisations and the attitudes, values and assumptions about women which limit women's promotion and the attainment of equality.

Did you know?

• Only 1 in every 10 board members on private sector boards are women.
• Almost 1 in 3 Commonwealth board members, by contrast, is female.
• Among generalist managers, just 1 in 10 is female.
• The average weekly earnings for a full-time male employee is $847.60, compared to $712.20 for women.
• Sexual harassment and sexual discrimination remain the most common grounds of complaint under the Sex Discrimination Act 1998, with 84% of complainants being female.
• In Australian Universities only 17% of academic staff at level D and above are women.

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