Council rolling out its Workplace Challenge on gender equality

Published on 21 May 2019

Macedon Ranges Shire Council has reached a milestone in its Workplace Challenge, passing the halfway mark of this ground-breaking program on gender equality.

The Victorian Government provided Council with a $100,000 grant to run the program to promote gender equality in the workplace.

Through the program, Council is taking proactive steps to ensure its culture and policies reflect its commitment to gender equality and inclusion.

Acting Chief Executive Officer, John Hausler said the workplace challenge was having a positive impact on the organisation and staff.

“Through embracing diversity and different perspectives, Council will be better equipped to reflect and serve our community,” Mr Hausler said.

“Creating a more respectful and inclusive workplace culture will help our existing staff work more effectively together, help us to retain our existing staff and attract new staff members.

“Council understands its powerful influence to bring about change, and to signal to the wider community our commitment to gender equality.”

The gender equality project runs for 12 months until December 2019.

Over the past two months, 80 leaders and key staff from across the organisation have engaged in open and honest discussions about gender equality and inclusion in a series of gender equality workshops. A further 60 Council staff will participate in additional training in July.

The staff workshops will culminate in action planning, with an organisational gender equality action plan to be developed by November.

As well as delivering workshops and training to embed gender equality in our culture, Council is simultaneously reviewing policies and processes to ensure gender equality is embedded in its systems.

Council is committed to ongoing learning about gender equality and to sharing the experience of managing the project with the 19 other Victorian councils also participating in the workplace challenge.