The principles have been considered when identifying the priority focus areas of VGSO's GEAP and the actions that fall under each one.
Principles 1, 3 and 9 affirm that gender equality is a human right and a precondition for social justice; that everyone has the right to live in a safe and equal society and treated with dignity, respect, and fairness; and recognises historic gender-based discrimination and disadvantage. These principles are reflected in our first priority focus area of Fair, equitable & bias-resistant workforce systems through interventions such as pay gap reporting, recruitment pipeline analytics and succession planning - actions designed to surface and address inequity at a systemic level.
Principles 2 and 7 - that gender equality benefits everyone and that everyone, regardless of gender, should be free to develop their abilities and careers, and make choices about their lives free from the limitations of gender stereotypes, gender roles or prejudices - are reflected in our third priority focus area: Culture, inclusion & sustainable work across all life stages. Actions supporting flexible work, parental leave (including normalising men's uptake of parental leave), wellbeing, and investigating male underrepresentation in clerical and administrative roles acknowledge that rigid gender norms limit everyone, not just women.
Principle 4 - that gender equality brings significant economic, social and health benefits - is reflected in actions such as biannual pay gap reporting, starting salary controls, workload audits and wellbeing data analysis support organisational performance, sustainability, and wellbeing outcomes.
Intersectionality - as outlined in principle 8 - is integrated into workforce reporting, recruitment analytics, unconscious bias checklist, and pay gap analysis within Priority Area 1.
Priority focus area 2 of VGSO's GEAP - Accountability, ownership & visible progress - is grounded in principle 6, which affirms that advancing gender equality is a shared responsibility. Actions focus on leadership accountability for gender equality, governance and transparency so that gender equality is repositioned as a shared accountability, not a People & Culture task.
Principle 5 - which regards the prevention of family and gender-based violence - informs actions in priority focus area 2 such as strengthening reporting pathways and introducing positive duty training for leaders, contributing to a safer workplace and a safer community.
Actions such as pay gap remediation plans (as necessary), a ParentLink program, and proposed menopause support program reflect principle 10, which acknowledges that special measures may be necessary to achieve gender equality.
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