The University of Queensland has again been named an Employer of Choice for Women (EOCFW) by the Federal Government's Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA).
The citations are awarded to organisations that have transparent, supportive women's policies, an inclusive organisational culture and staff development programs that educate workers about rights and obligations for sex-based harassment.
UQ has been an EOCFW since 2002 and the current citation is valid until February 2007.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Michael Keniger, responsible for equity matters, emphasised the commitment from senior University staff in addressing employment-related matters for women, which had been demonstrated to and recognised by EOWA.
“The University of Queensland is delighted to receive recognition for its achievements in seeking to improve the status of women staff," Professor Keniger said.
"We understand that there is still significant work to be done and have prioritised this in The University of Queensland Equity and Diversity Plan.”
In the period 2001 to 2005, UQ experienced an increase in the proportion of women at academic levels C (Senior Lecturer) and E (Professor) as well as in continuing academic appointments and in higher level general staff positions.
Some other UQ achievements are:
- availability of 26 weeks paid parental leave for eligible staff;
- the first university in Australia to receive breastfeeding-friendly workplace accreditation;
- introduction of new parking arrangements which allow carers to park within a reasonable proximity of the mother’s place of work or study, so the child may be breast/bottle fed;
- establishment of a Women Professor’s Network;
- mandatory completion by all new staff of online equity and diversity training;
- establishment of a Research Degree Completion Equity Fellowship scheme to assist women general staff to complete a PhD, doctorate or masters program;
- launch of the UQ Ally Program – a network of trained allies that raise awareness of, and assist in combating, heterosexism and homophobia; and
- significant changes to Special Studies Program provisions for academic staff in response to an investigation into the eligibility criteria and the differential impact of the criteria on women and people with family responsibilities.
Media inquiries: Andrew Dunne at UQ Communications (3365 2802 or 0433 364 181).
