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Wednesday, 16 March 2022
Aware Super has been recognised as a Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Employer of Choice for Gender Equality for a sixth consecutive time.
WGEA’s Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation is granted to organisations that demonstrate a genuine commitment to achieving gender equality in the Australian workplace.
Aware Super CEO Deanne Stewart said this award reaffirms the Fund’s ongoing commitment to creating a workplace that supports and promotes gender equity, diversity, and inclusion, which in turn drives better member experiences and outcomes.
“We are proud of our inclusive culture and the fact we have equal representation of women in Manager positions, as well as at the Group Executive and Board levels. What keeps our fund accountable is our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and plan (EDI) which acts as our roadmap to ensure we continue to focus on improving equity in support of our ongoing commitment to be the Best Place to Work.
“Over the past 12 months we have focused on setting new and specific targets for gender representation and pay equity for our Senior Leaders to ensure strong leadership accountability
“Our Talent acquisition team and our partner recruitment agencies have targets to provide diverse candidate pools in line with our specific gender targets. As a result, we have placed a greater number of women into new roles as well as promotions.
“Despite the efforts of organisations like ours, we still see women continue to be disadvantaged by the gender pay gap which remains at a concerningly high 13.8%. This then translates to an even larger deficit when it comes to women’s’ superannuation with women retiring with 33% less super, on average, than men
“With 70 percent of our members women, many have experienced the impact of gender inequality first-hand. Responding to gender inequality is something our members expect from us.
“This year, we called on every Australian employer to develop a policy, as a matter of urgency, that protects the earning rights of female workers – as we do. Recent figures from our 2022 International Women’s Day research uncovered that one third of Australians are currently working for organisations that do not have gender pay equity policies.
“We also continue to advocate for critical legislative changes needed to improve the economic security of our members in retirement, and women more broadly, including paying the superannuation contributions guarantee on family leave, accessibility of childcare and housing security and affordability, particularly for vulnerable women.
“These measures will ensure that our members, and more broadly all women, can succeed today and achieve a more confident and secure tomorrow.
WGEA Director, Mary Wooldridge said, “Each year, we accept applications for our WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation from those employers who are raising the bar when it comes to driving change, creating the circumstances that allow all people, regardless of their gender, to thrive.
“After passing through our evidence-based benchmarking evaluations, our EOCGE citation holders are officially recognised as some of the best employers in Australia who are committed and dedicated to action in achieving gender equality.
“Critically, these organisations are delivering on a formula that sees better support structures in place for working families; stronger actions to address pay inequalities; and strategic recruitment and promotion practices that help to encourage the full participation of women at work.
“We extend our congratulations to these leading employers, and look forward to working with them closely to accelerate positive change across Australian workplaces.”
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Note to Editors
Previously known as First State Super, we changed our name to Aware Super in September 2020.
Aware Super is a name that reflects our members and what we stand for. It echoes the strengths of our past, aligning to our purpose to be a force for good in superannuation, retirement, and advice, driving better outcomes for our members, their families, and communities.
Aware Super has been the fund for people who value community since 1992, and we’re now one of Australia’s largest funds and continuing to grow. We merged with VicSuper and WA Super in 2020 and now manage $155 billion in savings for more than 1 million members located across the country.
Our members work in roles that breathe life into their communities and they expect us to do the same. So, we invest in assets that we believe will make a positive difference today – improving our communities, building a more a sustainable economy and supporting employment both locally and globally at the same time as providing strong long-term returns.
Discover how we’re helping members do well financially while doing good in the world: Visit aware.com.au.