Gender Equity and Inclusion

Curtin University’s values and the Curtin 2030 Strategic Plan focus on cultivating an inclusive culture and working environment for our staff and students. Our work is to embed gender and inclusion principles through initiatives which support our diverse workforce and our student cohort to reach their full potential.

Our vision is to position Curtin as a leader in gender equity and inclusion. Our mission is to build and nurture inclusive, socially just, culturally responsive and safe values driven communities within the University. We take action to eliminate gender-based discrimination and identify and challenge cultural, social and institutional norms and barriers to achieving gender equity.

We take an intersectional and person-centred approach to our work. We privilege lived experience and honour the voices of the Curtin community. We support responsive and transparent decision-making to lay groundwork for an equitable, inclusive and sustainable University in which all people feel safe and respected and can thrive. We are here to serve the Curtin community and recognise that by working together we can make a difference.

GEI Strategic Overview

Our approach to gender equity and inclusion informs the pillars of our gender equity and inclusion strategic overview and directs the range of initiatives that support intersectional gender equity across our campuses. For more information, see the GEI Strategic Overview.

Pillars

Leadership & Career Pathways

Flexibility & Care

Respect & Safety

Governance

Objectives

Attract and retain a diverse talent pool and ensure equitable career progression and development opportunities. Ensure gender balanced leadership and implement reflective leadership models.

Foster flexible and inclusive working and learning environments which support and value all staff and students and nurture their potential.

Nurture safe and inclusive environments in which all members of the university can thrive. Value lived experience of all staff and students.

Institute governance and reporting structures which embed gender equity and inclusion. Demonstrate commitment to gender equity and inclusion through inclusive and transparent communication and initiatives.

GEI Strategic Overview

GEI Programs and Schemes

We run a range of internal and external programs and schemes for Curtin staff

Explore GEI programs and schemes

Caring at Curtin

Caring at Curtin provides information, resources, training and initiatives relating to care that are available to Curtin staff to support fostering care within the university community.

It brings together:

How Curtin supports staff with caring responsibilities or care requirements
Ways to contribute to safe, supportive and respectful work environments
Relevant services, policies, programs and networks
Resources and guidance for caring for students

Care is a commitment to accessibility, fostering respectful relationships and building a Curtin community where all staff and students can thrive – an expression of Curtin values and intrinsic to the realisation of Curtin’s 2030 Strategic Plan. Learn more on the Caring at Curtin webpage.

Gender Equity and Inclusion Snapshots

The Gender Equity and Inclusion Snapshots aim to capture a snapshot of gender equity and inclusion statistics and initiatives at Curtin University across the whole institution and within the Faculties and Centre for Aboriginal Studies and assist with understanding trends and opportunities for improvement.

The 2024 Snapshots drew on data from People and Culture, the Office of Strategy and Planning and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency and included gender composition across the university and leadership teams, gender pay gap analysis, promotion trends, leave trends, GEI and aligned programs and initiatives, governance and student gender composition.

Curtin Women's Trail

The Curtin Women’s Trail is a Curtin University Gender Equity and Inclusion initiative that highlights buildings and rooms named to honour women who have made a difference to the Curtin community.

This self-guided walking tour invites staff, students and visitors to explore the Boorloo / Perth campuses through a gender equity lens. By mapping, celebrating and acknowledging these names, we aim to foster visibility, representation, and a deeper understanding of the role women have played—and continue to play—in higher education and our communities.

Curtin has a longstanding commitment to gender equity and inclusion and this trail asks us to reflect on the ways we recognise and honour diverse contributions to academic and institutional spaces. While this initiative highlights the women already recognised on campus, it also prompts us to reflect on other names and journeys which form part of the Curtin story.

Join us as we trace our intersecting paths and reflect on how we shape an inclusive future. Learn more about the Curtin Women’s Trail.

SAGE Athena Swan

The Australian Academy of Science and Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering joined forces in 2015 to implement the Athena Swan Charter and associated accreditation program to Australia under the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) initiative. Improving the gender diversity of academic staff and students in STEMM is a priority to ensure Australia is competitive with countries which have a greater focus on this area.

Curtin University joined the inaugural SAGE pilot of the Australian Athena Swan accreditation program. We received the Athena Swan Bronze Award from SAGE for our efforts to improve gender equity and diversity in our University at a ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday 5 December 2018.

Curtin’s participation in the Australian Athena Swan program and commitment to the Athena Swan Charter demonstrates our willingness to work towards the achievement of the internationally recognised Charter’s aim of advancing gender equity in academia and leadership. Learn more about SAGE Athena Swan.

Closing the Gender Pay Gap

Gender equity is embedded within Curtin’s values and 2030 Strategic Plan, which focuses on cultivating an inclusive culture and working environment for all staff. The gender pay gap is a universally recognised metric of workplace gender equality, and closing the gender pay gap (GPG) is fundamental to achieving gender equity at Curtin.

Curtin University’s gender pay gap represents the total percentage difference between the average hourly earnings for men and women across the University without regard to their specific roles or type of employment.

When looking at Curtin’s GPG, it’s crucial to consider context, including what drives the pay gap imbalance at Curtin and what steps we have taken, and continue to build on, to work toward gender pay equity. We are invested in initiatives and best practices that break down barriers and support the career development and leadership of women at Curtin, which directly and indirectly work toward closing our gender pay gap. Learn more about the gender pay gap at Curtin.

Alison Taylor Single Mum Scholarship

The Allison Taylor Single Mum Scholarship was created under the guidance of Allison Taylor’s daughter Rachael to honour Allison’s legacy and help transform the lives of single mums and their children.

The Scholarship alleviates the financial burden for single mums in need by empowering them with financial support and resources, as they pursue their higher education degree. Learn more about the Allison Taylor Single Mum Scholarship.

Gender Research Network

The principal role of the Curtin University Gender Research Network (GRN) is to share best practice, raise awareness and influence change in gender equity policy and practice at Curtin University.

The GRN brings together researchers across the Curtin campuses working as gender researchers and on gender research related projects as well as those interested in learning about gender research. The GRN will have appropriate representation that includes (as far as is possible): gender diversity; cultural and background diversity; campus, school and discipline mix.

Learn more about the Gender Research Network.

Gender Equity and Inclusion Advisory Group

Curtin recognises that championing gender equity and inclusion and implementing gender equity and inclusion initiatives is intrinsic to the work we do and to the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, the Gender Equity and Inclusion Advisory Group (GEIAG) was established as an advisory group of the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee (DIBC).

Global Reference Group

The Global Reference Group offer insights on GEI matters from global campuses to GEIAG, with the aim of fostering GEI practices across all global campuses and strengthening the ties with the main campus in Perth.

GEIAG Terms of Reference

GEIAG

Chair