Media Release by The Hon Kate Ellis MP

Minister names top employers ahead of International Women’s Day

Minister for the Status of Women, Kate Ellis has today announced a list of 98 organisations that have been awarded the EOWA Employer of Choice for Women citation. These organisations have demonstrated their commitment to gender equality in the workplace by meeting rigorous criteria across seven different aspects of employment.

Minister Ellis said that in the lead up to the centenary of International Women’s Day it was important to acknowledge organisations that are setting the example by creating workplaces that value women and men equally.

“The Gillard Government looks to these employers to show other organisations the economic and workplace culture benefits that flow from hiring women and embracing the full potential of the labour market.”

“These organisations demonstrate what is possible when there is a commitment to ongoing improvement. All businesses have a critical role to play when it comes to gender equality in the workplace.”

“Building a work environment that supports and encourages women, particularly into senior positions, makes good business sense and also good social sense,” Ms Ellis said.

Organisations being recognised with the citation include Alcoa of Australia, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young Services and the University of Technology Sydney.

The 98 organisations on this list have been required to meet a number of stringent criteria such as a minimum of six weeks’ paid maternity leave after 12 months of service, a regular gender-based pay analysis across their entire organisation, regular sex-based harassment training and a culture that encourages workplace flexibility so that women in senior roles can work part time should they wish.

Ms Ellis said that the criteria were strengthened last year to reflect a higher bar for leading practice for equal opportunity for women.

“The cited organisations provide an average of 12.5 weeks of employer-funded paid maternity leave and close to two thirds have a minimum of 40 per cent female managers,” Ms Ellis said.

“And while these organisations deserve our congratulations, the reality is that these sort of numbers should be the rule rather than the exception.”

Acting Director of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency, Mairi Steele said that it was important to recognise these outstanding employers in the lead up to International Women’s Day.

“We were hoping to see the number of organisations on the list reach 100 so this is a solemn reminder that there is still some way to go before we have gender equality at work.”

“With over 2,500 organisations reporting to EOWA each year, there is plenty of room for the remaining ones to step up to the mark.”

The industries with the greatest representation of EOCFW organisations are Professional, Scientific & Technical Services comprising legal, accounting, engineering and architectural firms, Education & Training and Health Care & Social Assistance.

The full list of organisations that have received the EOWA Employer of Choice for Women citation is attached. For more information visit: EOWA website

List of EOWA Employers of Choice for Women 2011 in Alphabetical Order

  • Alcoa of Australia Limited t/a Alcoa World Alumina, Australia
  • Allens Arthur Robinson
  • Allianz Australia Services Pty Ltd
  • American Express Australia Limited
  • AMP Limited
  • Anglican Aged Care Services Group t/a Benetas
  • Arup Pty Ltd
  • ASX Limited
  • Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited
  • Australian Catholic University Limited t/a Australian Catholic University
  • Australian Unity Group Services Pty Ltd
  • Avant Insurance Limited
  • Baker & McKenzie
  • Becton Dickinson Pty Ltd
  • Blake Dawson
  • BP Australia Group Pty Ltd t/a BP Australia Pty Ltd
  • Brisbane Girls Grammar School
  • Canberra Girls’ Grammar School
  • Cancer Council Queensland
  • Catholic Care of the Aged t/a CatholicCare Hunter-Manning
  • Catholic Education Office – Adelaide
  • Cerebral Palsy Alliance
  • Child and Family Services Ballarat Inc t/a CAFS Ballarat
  • Citigroup Pty Ltd t/a Citi
  • Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers
  • Corporate Express Australia Limited
  • Corrs Chambers Westgarth
  • Credit Union Australia Limited
  • Curtin University of Technology
  • Deakin University
  • Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu t/a Deloitte
  • Epworth Foundation
  • Ernst & Young Services Pty Ltd t/a Ernst & Young Services
  • ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd
  • Flinders University
  • Freehills
  • Gilbert & Tobin
  • GlaxoSmithKline Australia Pty Ltd
  • Griffith University
  • Hays
  • Henry Davis York
  • Holding Redlich
  • IBM Australia Ltd
  • ITC Limited
  • JBWere Pty Ltd
  • John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd
  • Korowa Anglican Girls School
  • KPMG Australian Services Pty Ltd t/a KPMG Australian Services Trust
  • La Trobe University
  • Lauriston Girls’ School
  • Little Company of Mary Health Care Limited
  • Loreto Normanhurst Limited t/a Loreto Normanhurst
  • Luxottica Retail Australia Pty Ltd
  • Maddocks
  • Mallesons Stephen Jaques
  • McCullough Robertson
  • Medtronic Australasia Pty Ltd t/a Medtronic
  • Mercy Health and Aged Care Inc t/a Mercy Health
  • Meriden School
  • Minter Ellison Lawyers & Associated Entities t/a Minter Ellison
  • Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
  • National Australia Bank Limited
  • National Childcare Accreditation Council Inc
  • Norton Rose Australia
  • Origin Energy Limited
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers t/a PricewaterhouseCoopers Services
  • Queensland Country Credit Union Limited
  • Queensland University of Technology
  • Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University t/a RMIT University
  • Santa Sabina College Limited
  • SDN Children’s Services Incorporated
  • Sinclair Knight Merz Pty Ltd
  • State Street Australia Limited
  • Stockland Development Pty Ltd t/a Stockland
  • Swinburne University of Technology
  • Teachers Credit Union Limited
  • Teachers Federation Health Limited t/a Teachers Health Fund
  • The Creche & Kindergarten Association of Queensland t/a C&K
  • The Frank Whiddon Masonic Homes of New South Wales t/a The Whiddon Group
  • The PepsiCo Australia Group
  • The Society of The Sacred Advent – St Aidan’s Trust t/a St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School
  • The University of New South Wales t/a UNSW
  • The University of Sydney
  • The University of Western Australia
  • Thoughtworks Australia Pty Ltd
  • UBS AG, Australia Branch
  • Uniting Aged Care Victoria and Tasmania
  • UnitingCare Children, Young People & Families
  • University of Canberra
  • University of South Australia
  • University of Technology Sydney
  • University of the Sunshine Coast
  • University of Western Sydney
  • University of Wollongong
  • VicSuper Pty Ltd
  • Villa Maria Society
  • Warrigal Care
  • Westpac Banking Corporation