I am pleased to introduce the Department of Premier and Cabinet’s (DPC) Gender Equality Action Plan 2021–2025. This plan lays the foundation for a range of work over the next four years to ensure everyone at DPC, including women and gender diverse staff, has safe and equal access to resources, opportunities, and leadership roles, and is always treated with dignity, respect, and fairness.
The social, economic and productivity benefits of gender equality are experienced by everyone. In workplaces, gender equality leads to improvements in organisational performance, employee engagement and wellbeing and the attraction and retention of talent and staff.
This plan builds on the success of our previous Gender Equality Action Plan 2018–2021, through which we introduced additional paid parental leave for secondary carers, developed a policy to support those affected by family or domestic violence, instituted a program to support employees as they become parents and then become working parents, and ensured at least half of our executive roles are filled by women. These were all major achievements that represented hugely positive steps towards gender equality.
This new plan renews our focus. Over the next four years, we commit to:
- recruiting and retaining a diverse, gender-balanced workforce
- supporting the career advancement of women, including into leadership roles
- growing a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace
- reducing the gender pay gap
- encouraging flexible/new ways of working
- supporting employees to balance work, family, and caring responsibilities.
I encourage all DPC staff to take up the challenge set by this plan and discover what opportunities are out there for you and your peers. It is within everyone’s remit to make DPC a more safe, more inclusive, and more equitable workplace.
Vivien Allimonos
Deputy Secretary, Cabinet, Communications and Corporate
DPC Executive Champion for Gender Equality
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