This guide describes what a gender equality policy is, why workplaces should have one, the key characteristics of this policy, and frameworks to measure objectives. It also outlines the key characteristics of a gender equality policy and demonstrates different frameworks and ways to measure objectives. The Australian Workplace Gender Equality Agency created this brief guide to help different types of organizations in all countries develop a gender equality policy.

This resource recommends that a gender equality policy addresses and focuses on the following areas:

• Recruitment: Formulating job descriptions, sourcing candidates, advertising postings, protocol around recruitment agencies, recruitment team/panel composition, pre-requisite training, constitution of a short list, interview and selection process, etc.
• Retention: Renumeration, benefits and total rewards, training and development, health and safety, employee support processes, etc.
• Performance management processes: Defining roles, responsibilities, and objectives including KPIs, regular and recorded feedback sessions, 360-degree performance reviews, and personal development plans including learning and development, etc.
• Promotions: Requirements for promotions, talent/high potentials identification, internal applications management, and support provided during the transition, etc.
• Talent identification/identification of high potentials: How talent/high potentials are approached internally, how the talent pool is organized and managed, and how those individuals are involved in promotions, etc.
• Succession planning: Key roles, skill retention strategies, succession timetable, handover timeframe, and contingency or risk management.
• Training and development: Identification and documentation of specific employee training needs, skills gap analysis, documentation of financial resources available and utilized for employee training and development, investigation and approval of specific training programs, identification and documentation of work-related improvements achieved from training.
• Resignations: Reasons for resignation.
• Remuneration: Statement of commitment to pay equity.
• Overall business: An organizational culture that values diversity and embraces gender equality, an explicit statement on where accountability for gender equality lies, and a process for correcting inequalities.

 

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