Originally published here.
Australian workplaces and organisations have done considerable work in this area, demonstrated by their growing adoption of gender equity initiatives. However, workplaces are increasingly looking to expand their equity and diversity work to understand how to address aspects of identity that intersect with gender or sexuality and with genders and sexualities beyond binary understandings.
There are solid business and moral casesthat can be made for this expansion. The instrumentalist case is that: A failure to adopt transspecific policies and practices can cost businesses dearly in the form of higher turnover, decreased engagement and productivity, and possible litigation. Discriminatory behaviour in general also hurts the company’s brand.
However, the Sexualities and Genders Research Stream at WSU approach this area from a social justice lens, reflecting WSU’s key commitment to the principle of equity. The university articulates this pledge through its “longstanding commitment to enhancing the lives of our students, people and communities by promoting fairness, social justice and opportunities for success”. Illustrative of the growing recognition of the need to address gender diversity and intersectionality within gender equity inworkplaces, is the university-based Athena SWAN Charter for Women in Science.
This began in the UK in 2005 as a gender equity award scheme and was expanded to the Australian sector in 20147. The Australian SAGE pilot (2014-2016), then squarely focused on the advancement of women in STEMM fields, which initially included 30 universities, each required to demonstrate their commitment to the original ten principals of the Athena SWAN Charter. It is notable that these original principles failed to articulate gender diversity in non-cisgender binary terms, and referred to intersectionality in, arguably, thin terms (for example, principle #10 referred to “considering the intersection of gender and other factors”8).
However, in 2015, the Charter was expanded to include transgender staff and students and in the years that have followed (2015-2021), the Charter Principles have been revised multiple times in line with best practices with respect to inclusivity of trans/gender diverse individuals and the recognition of gender identities beyond the binary. The current principles include addressing gender-based discrimination specific to “trans and non-binary people” while acknowledging that “individuals have the right to determine their own gender identity”.
Likewise, the Charter Principles have shifted from merely “considering” intersections to “understanding and addressing intersectional inequalities”. These revisions align with a growing recognition of the necessity to consider intersectional approaches in workplace policy design to proactively attend to the ways that other aspects of identity intersect with gender. These intersectional approaches must be inclusive of gender diversity, in order to genuinely advance visibility and inclusivity.
Aligned with these commitments, WSU has provided significant internal funding and harnessed the collective expertise of staff to support intersectional approaches and visibility of trans/gender diversity. This is evidenced through internally resourced activities such as: research into university staff members’ understandings of trans/gender diversity, research exploring how staff view intersectional dis/advantage, reviewing organisational policies for inclusivity with respect to gender diversity and reviewing the terms of reference for the Vice Chancellor’s Gender Equity Committee to ensure representation of gender diversity.
Efforts are currently underway to ensure that a representative from Rainbow Western, the university’s network for LGBT+ staff, is embedded in every key stakeholder group for the university’s gender equity work. The university’s Gender Equity Strategy and Action Plan (2021-2016) includes greater reference and commitment to gender diversity.
Most recently, the university convened a Gender Equity Diversity Data Working Party to ensure responsible collection of related data and to establish related social justice principles with respect to staff and students’ personal diversity datai.
Unsurprisingly, given our commitment and investment in more expansive, nuanced and inclusive understandings of gender equity in academia, WSU is emerging as a national leader for research into intersectionality and inclusion of trans* and gender diversity in gender equity across the sector.
This consultation revealed critical areas and directions for the future. This included the need for data as evidence - empirical studies - to support the implementation of evidence-based diversity initiatives. Future work should aim to develop informed resources, guidelines and best-practice examples to foster cultural change in organisations and businesses. WSU researchers’ expertise and experience places the institution in a unique position to fulfil many of these articulated needs of workplaces, by providing evidence and data to support work in this area, guidelines for training, and clear resources that explain the complexities of gender identity and intersectionality to organisations and businesses located across sectors.
WHAT IS REQUIRED BY
ORGANISATIONS
≥ Data which accounts for more diverse
gender identifications, as currently data
is often collected based on a binary
understanding of gender. This can make it
easier for practitioners to talk about what is
going on.
≥ Research that identifies and supports best
practices for the ethical collection and use of
individuals’ personal identity data reflecting
their gender and sexuality diversity.
≥ Resources to help educate people on
gender diversity in workplaces, such as
guides on using gendered language. This
will be particularly beneficial to those people
who are educating others.
≥ More data about how different intersecting
identifiers affect inclusion and exclusion
across varied sectors.
≥ Facilitating work that enables more robust
conversations in workplaces about gender
diversity.
≥ Developing practical and innovative guides
and ideas about how to include gender
diversity into broader strategies focusing on
gender equity.
≥ Research that identifies and supports best
practices for creating cultural change in
organisations.
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