The development of the plan provides DPC an opportunity to build on progress made towards achieving gender equality over the period 2018-2021, during which DPC delivered several initiatives to improve gender equality in the workplace:
- Maintained and exceeded the overall target of 50% of women in Executive roles.
- Developed a Family Violence Support policy outlining workplace support available to employees experiencing or impacted by family violence.
- Delivered mandatory family violence training for all managers and Executives and created the role of Family Violence Contact Officers.
- Implemented the Parental Transition Support Program which offers specialist coaching and on-line assistance to support the transition from worker, to parent, to working parent.
- Implemented a new entitlement of 12 weeks paid parental leave for secondary carers in addition to the four weeks of paid parental leave already available, under the provisions of the VPS Enterprise Agreement 2020.
- Implemented the DPC In Touch program to support women on parental leave to maintain contact and relationships with managers and peers.
- Updated the Prevention of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace policy and mandatory eLearning module.
- Continued to support career development for women by participating in and nominating women for leadership programs.
- Developed a Flexible Working policy and form to capture and monitor the uptake of formal flexible working arrangements.
- Completed a comprehensive workplace gender audit to inform the development of the Gender Equality Action Plan 2021-2025.
- Continued membership and participation in the Champions of Change Coalition, a global initiative in which men of power step up beside women leaders as ‘champions’ because they publicly commit to leading practical, constructive and disruptive actions to accelerate change to achieve gender equality and build respectful and inclusive workplaces.
- Celebrated a number of events to recognise and celebrate the achievements of women and our diverse staff including International Women’s Day, International Day of People with Disability, NAIDOC week, IDAHOBIT and Cultural Diversity Week.
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