All segments rank workplace systems and culture as a top five change priority
This article is drawn from The Gender Compass Report, available on Plan International’s website.
This week, PLAN International launched its long awaited Gender Compass alongside Rebecca Huntley, Director of Research at 89 Degrees East.
Equal Workplaces has taken some time to digest these landmark findings, and identify the most compelling insights for Employers.
For the first time, the Gender Compass reveals what Australians think about gender equality - and the findings are instructive for workplaces.
Starting with a little background…
The Gender Compass encompasses findings from a unique segmentation analysis conducted on data gathered through an online survey of 2,522 Australians aged 16 years and over. The survey was carried out mid-way through this year.
For the first time, the Gender Compass provides us an insightful, segmented analysis of Australian attitudes to gender equality. This is a vital tool to help inform discussions and activities that cut-through and make progress toward a more gender equal Australia.
The segmentation ranges from Trailblazers (19%, mostly females) who believe gender equality is everyone’s business to Conflicted (12%, mostly younger males) who recognise that their gender has advantaged them, rather than had negative impacts and Rejectors (17%, mostly older males) who believe that gender equality is a non-issue and that changes to establish equality have already gone too far.
The largest segments are the Hopefuls (24%) and Moderates (23%). The Hopefuls are very aware of issues around gender equality and while they support measures to address it, their approach is less urgent than the Trailblazers. By contrast, the perspective of Moderates is impacted by their lack of awareness of the impacts of gender equality and their focus is on other issues. The table at the end of this article provides more detail on each segment.
What does this mean for your workplace?
The Gender Compass demonstrates that workplaces are a prime conduit for achieving gender equality across the board.
While it shows that there has already been some action - one in three participants had actively supported gender equality in their workplace, or in groups they are involved in - there is clearly room to step this up.
All segments - even the Rejectors - see the workplace as a setting where change and improvement can be made.
Every segment ranked “more family friendly workplace systems and culture” as a top five change priority. The Hopeful and Indifferent segments also included “access to discrimination advocacy and support in workplace” in their top five.
Furthermore, 63% of respondents supported actions to “address course/sector imbalances for gender-based workforce” and helping “women experiencing barriers into leadership positions”. 53% were for actions in support of “women business owners and entrepreneurs”.
The Gender Compass is a call to action for Australian workplaces - The data show a level of willingness to address inequality in the workplace, and an acceptance that this is where it should be happening.
The data also show that the need to avoid conflict and confrontation is the biggest barrier to action. Even 30% of the Trailblazers, who are most passionate about this issue, listed conflict and confrontation as their number one barrier to action.
The Moderate, Indifferent and Rejector segments departed from this trend, stating that they “rarely come across the issue” or that they “prioritise other issues”.
The segmentation also dispels some of the assumptions we might naturally make around who does and does not support gender equality:
Don’t assume that every Trailblazer is a woman and every Rejector is a man - the segmentation identifies a skew in some areas, but men can be Trailblazers too!
Don’t assume that younger people are automatically going to be more progressive on this issue than older people. One in five people in the Rejector category (that did skew to men) are aged under 30 years.
The workplace related insights can and should support your work as you prepare for public gender pay gap reporting early in the new year.
So what can we do now?
The overwhelmingly good news from this report is that 77% of Australians believe that we all benefit from a gender equal society. Employers who actively and demonstrably elevate this issue will be on the right side of this argument and will be well placed to attract and retain talented women to their workplaces.
As we’ve outlined above, every segment sees the workplace as an obvious place to continue making that progress. With public gender pay gap reporting just around the corner, now is the time to look at your employee engagement on gender equality - and the Gender Compass can give you the tools to meaningfully move the dial on key issues.
Use the segmentation as a way to navigate your plans and workplace activities, and remember to ensure that the context is as collaborative as possible. Employees should not have to feel that their action on equality will be seen as confrontational - workplaces can and should proactively eliminate that barrier to action and progress.
If you don’t know where to start, then let Equal Workplaces help.
Equal Workplaces can help you:
Create a Gender Compass profile of your workplace and profile key departments.
Develop messaging and communications activities using the Gender Compass to improve your gender equity strategy.
Provide boardroom briefings with executive teams and managers so they know how to use Gender Compass as an effective management tool.
Facilitate employee workshops.
Co-design your Gender Equality Strategy.
Equal Workplaces stands ready to roll up its sleeves and help you make positive change in this important area. Don’t let time pass you by - get in contact today!
For your reference - segmentation analysis
Trailblazer (19%) | Trailblazers are hopeful about the issue and strongly support measures to address inequality but they are also frustrated, concerned, and think equality remains a fair way off. Trailblazers are likely to be female, are educated, growth oriented people, who cherish fairness and equality over other values. |
Hopeful (24%) | The Hopeful segment is well aware of the issues and largely support measures to address inequality, but their views and voices are less insistent and less urgent than the Trailblazers. The Hopeful segment are, on balance, female and tend to be older than the other segments. Most have experienced negative impacts because of their gender, mainly relating to caring for home or family. While hopefulness is the dominant feeling for this segment, they also feel concern and a sense of uncertainty. |
Conflicted (12%) | While gender equality is important to the Conflicted segment, action to address it is less so, because they are unaware of many of its impacts and believe we are very close to achieving it. The Conflicted segment are mostly younger males, and see gender equality as an issue for men too. Equality might not be a core value, but the Conflicted are the only segment aware that their gender has advantaged them. |
Moderate (23%) | The restrained, and mildly positive neutrality, of Moderates is evident in their hopeful, content feelings and lukewarm response to change initiatives. For this segment, the importance of the issue is impacted by their lack of awareness of the impacts and their focus on other priorities. The Moderate segment reflects population demographics, though is slightly more male. |
Indifferent (6%) | Gender equality is just not on the radar of the Indifferent segment. Gender inequalities have had a negative impact on far fewer than in any other segments. They are the least likely to value equality and fairness and the most likely to value fun and loyalty. The Indifferent segment are similar to population demographics, except for their lower levels of education. |
Rejector (17%) | This segment not only believes that gender equality is a non-issue, they believe that equality for women has actually gone too far. It is men's experience of gender discrimination they are concerned with (even if they do not express it openly). As a result, they are broadly unaware of its impacts and are the least supportive of any change. Rejectors tend to be male, TAFE/college educated, slightly older and based outside cities. |