CHAMPIONS OF CHANGE 2022 IMPACT REPORT
Media Release
29 November 2022
The Champions of Change Coalition releases its 2022 Impact Report detailing Coalition Members’ actions to accelerate gender equality in their organisations: building respectful and inclusive workplace for all employees and advancing more and diverse women into leadership.
The fifth annual Impact Report presents the gender equality performance metrics and commentary from more than 190 Member organisations operating in Australia and internationally. It is understood to be one of the largest cross sector voluntary public disclosures on gender equality measures globally.
“The Champions of Change Coalition’s overall results this year show increases in women’s representation across all leadership categories and in the innovative, practical actions our Members are taking to ensure respect and inclusion support gender equality within the organisations they lead,” says Annika Freyer, CEO Champions of Change Coalition.
Advancing women’s representation in leadership
- 90.1% achieved gender balance in recruitment, or a level of women’s representation in recruitment that improved women’s representation in the past year
- 76.6% have rates of women’s promotions that are either gender balanced or greater than women’s representation overall
Women’s representation in Executive Leadership teams across ASX200 Coalition Members (35.2%) outperformed the ASX200 overall (29.0%) continuing the five year trend, according to the 2022 CEW Senior Executive Census (2018 – 2022).
Targets and accountability for inclusive recruitment, retention, promotion and pay equity
Taking an effective, holistic approach to achieving gender equality starts with clear strategy and measurable targets, backed up by inclusive systems, cultures and practices that enable the recruitment and promotion of diverse talent, and regular monitoring and action around equal pay.
- 62.7% Publicly disclose gender equality targets and annual progress against them, up from 54.7% in 2021
- 94.4% Have systems and structures in place to address bias in recruitment and promotions, up from 87.6% in 2021
- 80.7% Take specific action to address backlash and amplify buy-in in relation to their gender equality efforts, up from 64.0 % in 2021
- 75.2% Expect all leaders in their organisation to routinely sponsor diverse emerging female talent, up from 64.6% in 2021
- 73.3% of CEOs oversee the conduct and actioning of outcomes on pay equity audits at least every two years, up from 65.2 % in 2021
Mainstreaming flexibility in work and care
- 93.8% Have mainstreamed flexible work with policy, tools and technology and leadership support, up from 86.3% in 2021
- 93.2% Have policies or initiatives in place to enable flexible access to parental leave for all parents, up from 91.3% in 2021
Lessons learned during COVID lockdowns about the positive impact flexible working has on inclusive workplaces encouraged Coalition Members to challenge the norms and explore the flexible working arrangements for frontline, shift and site-based workers. In 2022 the Coalition published early insights from Members in Shifting Expectations to address the opportunities for the 70% of Australian workers required on site.
“These results show that long-term leadership and consistent, focused action are delivering gender equality in an increasing number of our Members’ workplaces. Our challenge remains ensuring that all women are benefiting, that this change is system-wide and that it is sustained,” says Freyer.
Creating respectful, inclusive workplaces for all employees
The prevention of workplace sexual harassment has been at the forefront of the national conversation and organisation’s strategy in every sector of the economy.
The newly-elected Federal Government endorsed all recommendations from Respect@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report (2020) and the Respect@Work Council has continued to advocate for legislative reform, support stakeholders and develop tools and resources for individuals, organisations and regulators.
In 2022, 88.8 per cent of Coalition Members have taken specific action to address everyday sexism in the workplace (up from 74.5 per cent in 2021).
“We know that we can’t be responsible for the behaviour of every single employee, but we can make it clear our expectations of them to have respect and human decency for one another.
“We can also work to shift the discrimination and bias built into systems and structures, permissive cultures and unequal power dynamics – all of which enable sexual harassment to flourish,” said Elizabeth Broderick Convenor and Founder of Champions of Change Coalition.
Sexual harassment on Leaders’ agenda
Over the past 12 months Coalition Members have strengthened their position, oversight and accountability for the prevention and response to sexual harassment in their organisations.
- 88.2% of Board and/or executive leadership teams have committed to eradicate sexual harassment and articulated their zero tolerance position (up from 75.8% in 2021)
- 80.1% have adapted workplace health and safety strategies to incorporate sexual harassment as a physical and psychological safety issue (up from 61.5% in 2021)
- 77.6% have established regular reporting on sexual harassment into their regular Board and/ or executive leadership team reporting cycles (up from 55.9% in 2021)
Care and support for those impacted by sexual harassment
- 88.8% of organisations have taken action to review reporting options to ensure multiple, confidential avenues for employees impacted by sexual harassment (up from 76.4% in 2021)
- 88.2% of organisations have reviewed employee education to better support all employees identify sexual harassment and know how to respond (up from 69.6% in 2021)
- 807% have invested in building internal support capability or expanded relationships with external support services (up from 62.1% in 2021)
- 45.7% of organisation ensure an individual impacted retains their right to speak in commercial settlement agreement (ie specific NDA carve outs), with a further 19.1% in plan to complete by 2024.
Strengthening support for those impacted by Domestic and Family Violence
- 93.8% Have initiatives in place to support employees experiencing or supporting family/friends experiencing, domestic and family violence, up from 88.2% in 2021
- 79.5% Have approaches in place to respond to employees who are or who may be using domestic and family violence, up from 64.6% in 2021
- 61.5% Have initiatives in place to achieve a positive community impact in addressing domestic and family violence, up from 47.8% in 2021.
“To ensure the progress we report continues and is sustainable, we are increasing our focus on advancing more and diverse women; creating cultures of care, respect and belonging for all; removing structural inequalities; and designing systems and workplaces for a truly gender equal future. Our ambition is to achieve inclusive gender equality across our workplaces within a generation,” says Annika Freyer, CEO Champions of Change Coalition.
Champions of Change Coalition
The Champions of Change Coalition includes CEOs, secretaries of government departments, non-executive directors and community leaders who believe gender equality is a major business, economic, societal and human rights issue. The Champions of Change Coalition is a globally recognised, innovative strategy for achieving gender equality, advancing more and diverse women in leadership and building respectful and inclusive workplaces. Established in 2010 by Elizabeth Broderick AO, our mission is to achieve gender equality and a significant and sustainable increase in the representation of women in leadership. The Champions of Change Coalition brings together more than 260 leaders from 230 organisations with over 1.4 million employees across 155 countries.
Media enquiries contact
Lisa Jervis: Director Communications, Champions of Change Coalition