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WGEA Gender Equality Indicators · Financial Services

Major Financial Institution

From representation targets to governance reform.

Embedding gender equality as a compliance, governance and performance imperative.

Client Goals

The mandate

A major financial institution required a governance-grade review of its Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan against the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment Act 2023 and the six WGEA Gender Equality Indicators — addressing persistent senior under-representation, a material gender pay gap, and attrition of high-performing female leaders.

  • Identify systemic barriers
  • Benchmark performance against WGEA standards
  • Surface lived experience across levels
  • Translate insight into regulator-ready recommendations
  • Strengthen Board oversight and governance accountability

What We Did

Our approach

Benchmarking Against WGEA Indicators

  • Workforce composition; Board and leadership representation
  • Equal remuneration and pay equity analysis
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Employee consultation; prevention of sex-based harassment

National Employee Consultation: Listening Circles

  • Structured, psychologically safe methodology across cohorts and levels
  • Hiring, promotion and career progression experiences
  • Flexible work access and stigma
  • Pay equity perceptions and behavioural norms

Manager Ideation & Implementation Testing

  • Pipeline constraints in technical and senior roles
  • Barriers to part-time and job-share leadership models
  • Retention challenges for senior female talent
  • Accountability gaps in implementation

Executive Interviews & Governance Review

  • Strategic commitment and accountability structures
  • Integration with performance metrics
  • Alignment between policy intent and operational execution

The Outcome

What changed

The organisation shifted from programmatic DEI initiatives to measurable, system-level change aligned to compliance and performance outcomes.

  • Six-indicator gap assessment with regulator-ready recommendations
  • Lived-experience evidence informing strategy
  • Governance reform pathway aligned to Board oversight
  • Defensible compliance roadmap

Key Impact Areas

Where it landed

Governance Reform

Board-grade oversight of gender equality outcomes.

Compliance Maturity

Aligned to the 2023 Amendment Act and WGEA standards.

Lived Experience

Strategy grounded in cross-cohort consultation.

Structural Change

From programmatic activity to system-level reform.

Services Delivered

What we provided

  • Six-Indicator Benchmarking
  • Pay Gap Analysis
  • Strategy & Action Plan Review
  • Listening Circles & Manager Ideation
  • Governance Reform Recommendations

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