New Research Report: Policies aren’t enough; inclusion needs to be embedded in organisational culture

10 November 2017

Women are nearly half the workforce, but continue to be segregated into a limited number of occupations and predominantly into the lower grades of those industries.  Years of policies intended to promote inclusion appear to have changed very little.

For organisations wanting to genuinely increase female participation at the top, simply having a set of policies around inclusion is not enough.  A working group from the co-operative and mutual sector has developed a set of practical steps for embedding inclusion in the culture and leadership of organisations. This direction must come from the board and executive.

The findings and recommendations are detailed in a major new report released today by Per Capita and the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM), on gender inclusion in the co-op sector in Australia.

The research involved a survey of employees of co-operative and mutual enterprises (CMEs) and engagement with sector representatives, and found that while an overwhelming majority of CMEs in Australia have policies for inclusion, they are not always supported by leadership in a practical sense, or people don’t act on them because they think they will be disadvantaged.  This is particularly true around flexible work.

It’s not enough just to have a policy. Organisations need to commit to cultural change, and this starts at the top with boards and executive teams.

Download Eliza’s Project: Gender inclusion in the CME Sector in Australia by Allison Orr.

For more information please contact report author Allison Orr – phone 0423 602 771 or email a.orr@percapita.org.au