e t’ s

L GENDER EQUITY
t a
FORUM l k & WORKSHOP
 Todays objectives
• Start a conversation about how we can jointly improve
gender equity across the Greater Bendigo community
• Build a common understanding of gender equity and
why it is important
• Outline and understand the Greater Bendigo context
• Provide some examples of work underway across
Victoria, Loddon Mallee Region and Greater Bendigo
• Gain a commitment to work together to develop a
Gender Equity Strategy for Greater Bendigo
Equality Vs Equity
 Gender Inequality
The unequal
distribution of power,
resources, opportunity
and value afforded to
women and men in a
society due to prevailing
gendered norms and
structures
 Key Terms
Sex Gender
‘Sex’ refers to the ‘Gender’ refers to the
biological socially constructed
differences roles, behaviours,
between females, activities and
males and intersex attributes that a
people. This given society
includes the considers
reproductive organs appropriate for
and hormonal women, men, boys
activity and girls.
 Why gender equality?
• Gender equality prevents violence against
women and girls
• Gender equality provides economic benefits
• Gender equality is a human right
• Gender equality delivers social benefits
• Gender discrimination cuts both ways
 Statistics for Greater Bendigo
Indicator GB Female State Female GB Male State Male
Anxiety / 38.9 25.2 16.1 15.9
Depression %
Psychological 12.6 14.4 5.4 10.5
distress %
Overweight or 45.1 44 62.4 60.1
obese %
Family violence 1310 388
incidents
Sexual offences 129 34
reported
Perceptions of 57.1 95.1
safety %
Smokers % 19.1 13 10.7 16.2
Physical activity 36.7 39.8 42.7 43
%
Prevalence of Violence
 The business case for gender equity

• Increase Australia’s GDP by 11%

• ↑ economy by $8B if men & women
transitioned to employment from higher
education at equal rates
 The business case for gender equity
• Attract the best employees
• Reduce cost of staff turnover
• Enhance organisational performance
• Improve access to target markets
• Minimise legal risks
• Enhance reputation
• Engage men
Statistics for Greater Bendigo

Indicator GB Female GB Male

Year 12 or equivalent % 33.3 28
Employed full-time % 42.6 75
Employed part-time % 51.7 19.6
% below minimum 49.9 33.6
weekly wage ($0 – 599)
What would Greater Bendigo look
like if we had gender equity?
Workplaces
• Men and women are equally represented at all levels and within all units of the organisation
• Equal pay for equal roles and responsibilities
• Career development and promotion opportunities are offered equally
• Flexible working arrangements available and taken up equally by men and women
• No traditional job stereotypes e.g. men as childcare workers, women on the works team

Community
• Governance structures are gender equitable
• Marketing campaigns, books and films do not stereotype men and women
• Men and women participate equally in sport and/or the arts and have access to the same facilities and
opportunities
• The built environment is equitable and welcoming for both men and woman

Early Years & Education

• Learning and development programs do not promote gender stereotypes

Other
• Girls have the same career expectations as boys
• Caring responsibilities are shared equally between men and women
• Superannuation balances are equal for men and women (not impacted by parent leave)
• All generations support gender equity
National and Victorian context
• National Plan to reduce violence against women and their
children 2010 – 2022
• Change the story: a shared framework for the primary
prevention of violence against women and their children in
Australia (Our watch, ANROWS & VicHealth 2015)
• Royal Commission into Family Violence Report and
Recommendations 2015
• Ending Family Violence: Victoria’s Plan for Change 2016
• Safe and Strong: A Victorian Gender Equality Strategy 2016
• Free from Violence: Victoria’s strategy to prevent family
violence and all forms of violence against women 2017
• The Loddon Mallee Action Plan for the primary prevention of
violence against women 2016 - 2019
Key Settings for Gender
Equality
Attitudes to gender equality and violence
against women
 What about men?
• WIN:WIN scenario
• Safer community overall
• Improved work-life balance
• Outcomes from greater
involvement of men in
housework and childcare
– Children
– Partners
– Men
• Better future for their
daughters
Disclosure
 Greater Bendigo
Gender Equity Strategy
This strategy will aim to identify initiatives that will
increase gender equity across the whole Greater
Bendigo community. It will take a primary
prevention approach to:
• Prevent gender inequality before it occurs
• Focus on the whole population and the range of
settings in which inequalities are shaped, to
address factors that lead to inequality
• Build social structures, norms and practices that
prevent gender inequality happening or reduce
the likelihood of it.
 Greater Bendigo
Gender Equity Strategy
Objectives:
• Identify key partners with a shared commitment to building
gender equity across the community
• Engage with the community to identify local case studies of
gender equality
• Develop a common understanding of the drivers of gender
inequality
• Establish baseline data on current levels of gender inequality
across the community
• Identify evidence informed interventions relevant to the Greater
Bendigo context
• Identify priority settings for intervention
• Build an evaluation framework
• Develop an agreed action plan for implementation.
 w a n t s t o
W h o
j o i n u s ?