Review of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 – Submission
Dr Susan McGrath-Champ
Dear KPMG,
Please accept this short submission to the Review of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act and Agency.
I think the lack of progress towards equality for women at work in recent years has been due to a lack of political will and inadequate provision of resources.
This must change. I believe the following are needed:
- an Act which promotes gender equality, that is equality of outcomes between women and men not just equality of opportunity;
- a statutory agency which focuses exclusively on women at work (including women from all backgrounds) and works to promote their interests;
- an equality at work framework which employers must work to and which requires measurable progress to be achieved over 3-5 years;
- progress towards these measures must be verified independently and by comprehensive consultation with employees and their union representatives;
- really effective enforcement provisions should be introduced;
- high profile education campaigns particularly about the causes of pay inequity and how to remedy them, should be launched by the government;
- the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency and its work in educating, monitoring reports and workplaces, and enforcing compliance should be adequately resourced to achieve change and to mark the government's intention that change will be achieved;
- research and evaluation into the effect of the Act should be undertaken.
Your sincerely
Susan McGrath-Champ
Dr Susan McGrath-Champ
Work and Organisational Studies (H03)
Faculty of Economics and Business
University of Sydney, NSW 2006
Australia
Tel: + 61 2 93516437
Fax: + 61 2 93516437
email: s.mcgrath-champ@econ.usyd.edu.au
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