A driving force towards a more gender equal workplace
'Ambitious and innovative' is how DFAT's Women in Leadership (WIL) strategy was described when the department received the APS Gender Equality Award 2017.
DFAT committed to its WIL strategy so that all staff – women and men – would feel valued and supported to perform at their best. The strategy draws from research, expertise and extensive staff consultation.
The implementation of the strategy has driven deep cultural change in the department which helps staff reach their full potential and enhance productivity. There are now many active male and female WIL advocates across the department.
The "if not, why not?" approach to flexible work is being embedded across the department. Female role models are more visible and unconscious bias is being tackled. Gender-disaggregated data is regularly shared with all staff.
The results are visible; more women are reaching DFAT's senior ranks and becoming Heads of Mission overseas, and there are positive changes in how women perceive their career progression.
DFAT's Secretary, Frances Adamson, has taken direct responsibility for the strategy's implementation and is pleased with what has been accomplished so far. There is more to do but there is a real determination to build a more gender equal workplace.
