Assessing the impact of the gender equality reform on selected community indicators will take time. A progress report on the baseline will be developed in 2022 to track gender equality data from instruments such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population and Housing. Following the implementation of the Victorian Gender Equality Bill, workplace data and reporting alignments will enable comprehensive monitoring of the impact of gender equality reforms. There will also be an opportunity to improve data collection in areas where gender equality data is currently lacking.
Because of the complexity of collecting gender equality data, there are inherent limitations in the data associated with the proposed measures. The primary limitation relates to a lack of state-based data in some areas. Victorian data has been used to inform the Baseline Report where possible, but significant gaps have been identified in state- based reporting across all settings. The reliance on Australia-wide data limits the ability for government to effectively monitor improvements to gender equality in Victoria. Improving gender disaggregated reporting at the local and state levels will be a key focus for the next iteration of the Baseline Report. Of note, the Department of Premier and Cabinet is already working with Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) to collect Victorian specific data about changes in attitudes and behaviours to gender equality and violence against women.
Work to date on the 2019 Baseline Report has demonstrated that significant data development work is required to address the identified limitations and to ensure that outcomes data is valid and reliable. This work will be conducted in tandem with similar initiatives such as the Family Violence Data Collection Framework and the Family Violence Prevention Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. The Department of Premier and Cabinet will work with departments to develop a detailed implementation plan to improve data collection for the next Baseline Report which considers costs and administrative responsibilities for departments and providers. Where possible, further work will take place to strengthen the capacity for the disaggregation of gendered data in recognition of the intersectional dimensions of gender inequality.
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