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Portfolio Budget Statements 2009-10

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The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency

Section 1: Agency overview and resources

1.1 Strategic direction

The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) is chartered through the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 with both regulatory and educative functions and responsibilities.

It is EOWA's objective that every working woman in Australia should have the same opportunities as her male counterparts.

The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 (The Act) requires relevant employers to ensure equal treatment for women with a particular focus in the following areas:

• recruitment and selection
• promotion, transfer and termination
• training and development
• work organisation
• conditions of service
• arrangements for dealing with sex-based harassment
• arrangements for dealing with pregnancy, potential pregnancy and breastfeeding.

The Act applies to private companies, higher education institutions, non-government schools, not-for-profit organisations/community organisations, trade unions and group training schemes that have 100 or more employees.

The Act requires relevant employers to lodge a yearly report with the Agency on their Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace program. It also requires the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency to provide customised feedback and assistance to employers. The Agency assists these organisations by providing:

• education programs and information to assist employers to improve equal opportunity for women in the workplace through linking equal opportunity outcomes for women with their human resource management and business priorities
  
  
• on-line information and educative tools to assist employers to develop workplace programs and to comply with all aspects of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999
  
  
• recognition of leading-practice employers to inspire action.

Throughout 2009-10 EOWA will work closely with over 7,000 relevant employers covered by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999, to improve awareness and understanding about the issues impacting women's workforce participation. EOWA will focus on report assessment, training, research and communications strategy which will deliver increased awareness of equal opportunity initiatives including paid maternity leave, reducing the gender pay gap, reducing harassment, advancing merit-based opportunity and improving the quality of flexible working arrangements.

Partnerships with business will enable the agency to conduct leading edge research and profile best practice, to provide guidance and practical solutions to equity issues to business, government and the community.

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• Next: 1.2 Agency resource statement

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