At Western Health we are committed to making reasonable and material progress and taking positive action towards achieving workplace gender equality and inclusion. We acknowledge that gender equity work is not binary and that gender inequalities impact people of all genders. The work aimed towards inclusion, diversity and equity is always evolving and is not static.

Victorian Gender Equality Act 2020

In 2020, the Victorian Government legislated the Gender Equality Act 2020. The Gender Equality Act promotes gender equality by:

  • Requiring the Victorian public sector, local councils and universities to take positive action towards achieving workplace gender equality.
  • Requiring these organisations to consider and promote gender equality in their policies, programs and services.
  • Establishing the Public Sector Gender Equality Commissioner to provide education, support implementation and enforce compliance.

To read more about the Victorian Gender Equality Act 2020 or to read the act in full, please click here: About the Gender Equality Act 2020 | Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector (genderequalitycommission.vic.gov.au)

Western Health’s Gender Equality Action Plan

In response to the introduction of the Victorian Gender Equality Act 2020, Western Health have developed and introduced our Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP). The GEAP was developed with consideration to the findings of our Workplace Gender Audit 2020/2021 and subsequent rounds of consultation with the Board, Executive and Employees.

We are pleased to announce that Western Health’s Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP) has been identified as an example of good practice by the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector (CGEPS).

To read more about our Western Health Gender Equality Action Plan, to read the plan in full or to download the report, please click here: 1.-Western-Health-Gender-Equality-Action-Plan-FINAL.pdf (wh.org.au)

If you would like to learn more about Western Health’s 2021 Workplace Gender Audit, to read the report in full or to download the report, please click here: WH_Audit Analysis_v070222

So why does Gender Equality matter?

  • Equal Treatment & Access

    Women are more likely to avoid or defer using a health service because of the costs involved, while men are more likely to defer using health care services because of gender norms that discourage seeking help. One in five people who are trans and gender diverse had been refused general healthcare, and 14% had been verbally harassed within a healthcare setting (Latrobe).

  • Safety & Wellbeing

    There is no quality without equality. According to a study conducted by Latrobe, 41% of people who are trans and gender diverse who required emergency care had at some point avoided going. Women are 15% more likely to suffer a bad outcome, and 32% are more likely to die, when a man rather than a woman carries out surgery (Wallis CJD et al 2022).

  • Gender based violence

    Everyone is responsible for creating a culture where discrimination and harassment are not accepted, and everyone is respected. According to the 2021 People Matter Survey, 10% of employees who are trans or gender diverse experienced sexual harassment as did 7% of women and 5% of men. In the community, police are still misidentifying women (particularly First Nations women) as perpetrators of family violence.

  • Pay Gap

    The median gender pay gap at Western Health is 10.8% in favour of men, compared with 5% across the public health sector (source: CGEPS baseline data portal).

  • Senior Leadership

    Overall workplace gender composition at Western Health is 78% women and 22% men. The gender composition of the top 4 reporting levels is 45% women and 55% men.

  • Carers Leave

    In 2020/2021, 514 women at Western Health took parental leave whilst only 1 man did. Of our employees who took carer’s leave (to care for a member of their household who is unwell), 80% were women and 20% were men, which is closely aligned with our overall gender composition.

     

     

How can I support Gender Equality at Western Health?

  • By getting curious about what gender equality is, and exploring ways in which I can support and promote it.
  • By being aware of my own gender privilege and power.
  • By understanding the basic principles and terms around gender equality and inclusion.
  • By sharing my thoughts and experiences in relation to workplace culture, diversity and inclusion, recruitment and promotion, flexible working, family, and caring responsibilities.
  • By calling out sexism, misogyny and transphobia when I see it.
  • By holding myself and other colleagues accountable for inappropriate workplace behaviour, discrimination or harassment.
  • By listening to female and gender diverse patients and taking them seriously as experts on their own bodies.
  • By advocating for your patients for the most appropriate care and services.
  • By providing solutions and not contributing to barriers to access for female and gender diverse patients.
  • By doing my own reading and research on gender inequality within the workplace, what it can look like, how it is created and what I can do to help address it.
  • By learning to apply a gender equity lens to my treatment of my colleagues and patients or any work programs that I am contributing to.
  • By identifying any areas that my unconscious biases are influencing the way I interact with my colleagues and patients.
  • By completing my Occupational Violence & Aggression (OVA) Training.
  • By asking my manager for additional resources and training to help prevent gender-based violence within the workplace.

For Managers: How can I support gender equality in my team or on my ward?

  • Encourage your entire team to complete their Occupational Violence & Aggression (OVA) Training.
  • Be aware of contributing factors to gender-based violence within the workplace and actively taking steps to address and prevent these.
  • Create a culture of gender equality within your team and normalise having (sometimes) uncomfortable conversations that encourage your team to reflect on how they may be unconsciously be
  • Be aware of gender equity and the needs of all gender people when hiring and going through the recruitment process.
  • Apply a gender equity lens to all internal promotion and advancement opportunities and be aware of the barriers that women and gender diverse people have when applying for promotions.
  • Be proactive and responsive to staff requests to make reasonable adjustments according to their needs.
  • Stop giving women non-promotable tasks like asking women in your team to organise social activities, morning teas, birthdays etc.
  • Stop asking staff to add to their existing workloads or to take on additional tasks without financial compensation.
  • Take steps to prevent sexual harassment and discrimination in your teams and ensure that there are gender balanced safe reporting routes for all staff to safely report any harassment if it occurs.
  • Educate yourself on how to apply a gender equity lens to all of your internal and patient facing operations.
  • Do not ask women and gender diverse staff in your team to educate you on gender equity- Seek out subject matter experts instead.
  • Request training for yourself and your team if you identify knowledge and skill gaps in the area of gender equity.
  • Hold yourself accountable and lead by example.
  • Be aware of your own privilege and power.

For more information on gender and sex, pronouns, staff resources, educational in-services and contact information, please click the link below:

We acknowledge that gender equity work is not binary. Gender inequalities impact people that identify with all genders, and its impact may differ tremendously in its cause, course, and have implications for people’s well-being. The work aimed towards inclusion, diversity and equity is ever evolving as well as the field itself. If you have any concerns, doubts, or comments about Western Health’s Gender Equality program and/or work, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We care for our people. Our staff and volunteers are supported, engaged, and equipped to embrace a dynamic future. We develop and attract the best talent and support our people to continue their great work by fostering a culture of innovation, inclusion, wellbeing, and safety.

your Culture | your Ability | your Identity
We welcome you at Western Health
and together, we deliver the healthcare of the future.