The Male Champions of Change (MCC) Fire and Emergency Impact Report 2019 provides detailed data on gender representation including for frontline service delivery roles, which often lead to more senior positions. 

Across Australia and New Zealand, the group achieved gender balance or an increase in women’s representation across 77.6% of employment categories over the period.

In addition, they report:

  • 24.2% women’s representation overall across the group, compared to 22.0% in 2018 when the first report was released

  • 40.1% of overall hires across the group were women

  • 79.3% of members now have flexible working policies in place

  • 92.9% of members have flexible parental leave policies in place

  • 79.3% of members have a formal policy or strategy in place for preventing and addressing sexual harassment, including details of complaints/grievance processes

Members of the MCC group include chief executives, commissioners, chief fire officers and fire managers responsible for fire, emergency and land management for 29 agencies working across metropolitan, regional and rural areas. They lead some 288,000 staff and volunteers throughout Australia and New Zealand. 

The group was established with the support of AFAC, the National Council for Fire and Emergency Services. AFAC CEO Stuart Ellis said increasing demands on the fire and emergency sector requires diverse and inclusive workforces. 

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