Gender equality progress report 2021-23

Our commitment to gender equality

The Department of Health is proud to champion gender equality, creating a workplace where diversity and inclusion are fundamental to drive our success. Our people are the foundation of our achievements. We are dedicated to creating an environment where all people, regardless of their gender and other identities, are empowered to thrive, break barriers, and lead with purpose and impact.

Guided by our Gender Equality Action Plan 2022-25 (GEAP), we are advancing transformative change across our department. We're not only committed to gender equality, we are leading by example in promoting equitable representation and leadership, working to improve gender pay equity, preventing gender-based discrimination, and supporting flexible work arrangements.

Gender inequality is a social issue, an economic issue, and a health and wellbeing issue. How we operate internally as an organisation, support gender equality in our workforce, and consider gendered impacts in the work we do, all shapes our ability to drive improvements in health and wellbeing outcomes for all people, regardless of their gender and other identities.

Our ongoing journey towards achieving gender equality reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. It also mirrors our aspiration to be a top employer, so that we can continue to deliver high-quality healthcare and make 'Victorian's the healthiest people in the world.'

Our progress in advancing gender equality

Since launching our first GEAP in 2022, under the Gender Equality Act 2020, we've made significant progress. We have:

• Enhanced gender equality data collection with the creation of an interactive Gender Equality Dashboard, tracking and reporting on key indicators.
• Built Gender Impact Assessment (GIA) capability across the department, ensuring gender-responsive budgeting and incorporating GIAs into our processes.
• Introduced resources to support parents and carers returning from leave.
• Updated our Gender Affirmation Policy.
• Refined our sexual harassment policy to adopt a trauma-informed, culturally safe approach.
• Shown our commitment to gender pay equity, reflected in executive remuneration decisions helping to eliminate the median executive gender pay gap.
• Launched the LGBTIQA+ Workplace Inclusion Action Plan and achieved an AWEI bronze employer recognition for LGBTIQA+ inclusion.
• Appointed executive champions for Gender Equality, LGBTIQA+ Inclusion, and Disability Employment to drive change and improve workplace culture.

Detailed progress report

Our 2023 interim gender equality audit has enabled us to take stock of our achievements to date. It's shown us what we've done well and highlighted areas where we need to have greater focus.

View the full progress report for more information.