Your workplace can help create an Australia where women are safe, equal and valued.
Our Watch is a national leader in the primary prevention of violence against women and their children in Australia. They work to embed gender equality and prevent violence where Australians live, learn, work and socialise. One of their focused websites, Workplace Equality and Respect, offers a step-by-step process that enables you to assess your organisation and identify key actions to make lasting change and a suite of freely available tools and resources that help support you to take action.
These are five standards all organisations can work towards to ensure Workplace Equality and Respect.
Standard 1: Commitment – You are committed to preventing sexual harassment and violence against women and have structures, strategies and policies that explicitly promote gender equality.
Standard 2: Conditions – You embed gender equality in your recruitment, remuneration and promotion processes. Men and women utilise flexible work options, without penalty.
Standard 3: Culture – All staff feel safe and confident to express themselves. Gender stereotypes, roles and norms are actively challenged in the workplace. Staff can raise concerns about gender inequality and potential discrimination without adverse consequences.
Standard 4: Support – You have the structures, practices and culture to ensure an appropriate response to staff and external stakeholders who experience violence, bullying and sexual harassment.
Standard 5: Core business – The work you do and the way you promote it aligns with your commitment to gender equality and the prevention of sexual harassment and violence against women.
The process
The Workplace Equality and Respect process walks you through the key steps you can take to assess your organisation, identify priority areas and implement actions to embed gender equality in your workplace.
You will be setting the foundation; understanding the scope of your workplace, developing solid organisational support from leadership and staff and building understanding and capacity of key staff. With these building blocks in place, you will be ready to implement change.
Listen to this 40 minute webinar overview of the Workplace Equality and Respect process for tips on how it might look in your organisation.
Tools and Resources
The Workplace Equality and Respect key tools show you how to implement actions and provides you with ways of assessing your workplace before and during the process.
The resources feature good practice examples from workplaces across Australia such as organisation action plans and an equitable flexible work policy. There are also templates, videos and guides to help you tailor the process to your workplace.
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