The Victorian Government is improving gender equality in the workplace through a new Australian-first pilot program.

Minister for Training and Skills and Higher Education Gayle Tierney and Minister for Women Gabrielle Williams last week met with students and project partners to hear about the program’s success.

The Victorian Government funded the Gender Equity Training Project in direct response to findings from the Royal Commission into Family Violence, which identified a lack of formal training in gender equity across many sectors and industries. The course is the first of its kind in Australia.

The pilot is aimed at new and existing professionals working in community-based organisations and is designed to equip participants with gender equity knowledge and skills to drive change at an organisational level, as well as though interactions with colleagues, partners and clients.  

More than 40 students have already completed the course and 130 students have undertaken Gender Equity microcredentials to build their capacity to identify and address gender equality issues in the workplace.

The project is led by Women’s Health Victoria and includes a range of partners, including Adult Community Education Victoria, Knox City Council, RMIT University, Monash University, Coonara Community House, Yarrawonga Neighbourhood House and Women with Disabilities Victoria.

In an Australian-first, Victoria’s Gender Equality Act came into effect in February. The legislation applies to public sector workplaces and will help close the gender pay gap, improve gender equality at all levels of the workforce and reduce workplace sexual harassment.