Our 2023 workplace gender audit data shows progress

Taking positive action towards achieving workplace gender equality is not only part of our values of being fair and equitable. We’re also required to do so under the Gender Equality Act 2020.

In addition to developing our Gender Equality Action Plan, we report our progress to the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector (CGEPS) every two years.

Our first report was 2021, providing baseline data to compare with future reports.

The commission has recently reviewed our 2023 workforce gender audit progress report, finding us to be compliant.

Our workforce data progress

Improvements in our 2023 workforce data compared to our 2021 baseline report to CGEPS include:

• 2.7 per cent decrease in our mean gender pay gap for base salary
• 2.4 per cent decrease in our mean gender pay gap for total remuneration
• percentage of women participating in career development training and women awarded higher duties is consistent with our workforce composition (75 per cent women)
• reporting gender pay gaps for diverse staff to CGEPS for the first time – 26.3 per cent for base salary and 26.5 per cent for total remuneration.

Our strategic progress toward achieving gender equality

Implementing our Speak Up reporting tool

Speak Up provides staff with an additional, confidential way to report experiences and incidents of discrimination, harassment, and bullying. It also enhances psychological safety by supporting staff in raising concerns through anonymity.

Introducing a flexible guidance note

The flexible guidance note ensures staff have clear policies supporting flexible working arrangements, enabling them to better manage their work-life balance.

Reducing the gender pay gap

Our mean base salary gender pay gap decreased from 13.2 per cent in 2021 to 10.5 per cent in 2023. However, for self-identified staff, the gap is 26.3 per cent, highlighting an area we are committed to addressing. We are pleased that both our base salary and total remuneration gender pay gaps have improved since 2021.

Embedding Board and executive accountability

Both our Board and executive teams have committed to prioritising intersectional gender inequality across the organisation. They have actively engaged in learning and development to better understand how to influence and drive meaningful change.

Establishing a gender equality steering committee

The steering committee champions and advances efforts to address intersectional gender inequality affecting our staff, communities, and the justice system.

Completing gender impact assessment

We have successfully conducted assessments for our Help Before Court program, Child Safety and Wellbeing policy, and Victims Charter policy. Over 70 staff are now trained to complete gender impact assessments.

Establishing the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team leads and coordinates our intersectional gender equality initiatives and oversees the implementation of gender impact assessments.

What we learn from workplace gender audits

Associate Director Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Abby Sullivan says conducting the workplace gender audit helps us identify gender-based workplace trends.

‘It is a way of being accountable to our staff and wider community about how we are working to address intersectional gender equality,’ she said.

Our progress report includes details of:

• gender impact assessments we have conducted and resulting actions taken
• progress toward our strategies and measures for gender equality
• resources allocated to implement our Gender Equality Action Plan.

More information

Read a summary of our 2021 and 2023 reporting to CGEPS:

Read our full 2023 workforce gender audit progress report and data insights on the CGEPS website:

• to download our 2023 progress report, click on the Plans and Progress tab, and search for Victoria Legal Aid
• for data insights, click on the Data Insights tab and select 2023 under Reporting year and Victoria Legal Aid under Organisation
• if you have trouble accessing this data, please contact CGEPS.