SAGE News
SAGE’s gender pay gap member analysis
Last month, we released our Progress and Backsliding: Gender Pay Gap in the University and Research Sectors Report Card, a new analysis of the latest Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s (WGEA) gender pay gap data.
The key highlight is that SAGE members had on average a 37% lower gender pay gap (total median remuneration). This is an impressive result and has seen the member advantage grow year on year during the three years of WGEA public gender pay gap reporting.
Other Key Findings
Those that haven’t moved beyond a pay audit? Their gap is growing.
The gap between SAGE member universities and those outside it has tripled over three years, as the gender pay gap has continued to grow for those not taking action.
Of the 13 universities with a gender pay gap in the target range (+/-5%), nine are SAGE members.
Those further along the SAGE Athena Swan program had a lower gender pay gap on average.
Burnet Institute shows what’s possible. Ten years into their Athena Swan journey, they’ve achieved a 13.9 percentage point reduction in their median gender pay gap. That’s not luck. That’s leadership.
The evidence is clear: fixing the gender pay gap delivers real returns, including lower discrimination and harassment, stronger retention, greater innovation, and higher productivity.
To every organisation still sitting on the sidelines: the data is in, and the cost of doing nothing is rising.
Read the full report card.
New Equity Programs for TAFEs & MRIs
With funding from the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Science and Resources, SAGE is developing new national gender equity, diversity and inclusion accreditation programs for TAFEs and Medical Research Institutes (MRI).
Between July and October 2026, we will be seeking feedback on the draft design through a comprehensive, sector-wide consultation process. All relevant stakeholders will be invited to take part and share their views.
One-Day Symposiums in VIC & NSW with MRIs: Maximum insight, minimum time – all welcome
We know your time is your scarcest resource. That’s why we are designing a series of symposiums around a simple principle: you should leave with actionable insights you can implement immediately, having connected with peers facing the same challenges.
These events are designed for EDI practitioners, HR and culture leads, MRI leaders, members of EDI or equivalent committees, and anyone interested in strengthening EDI practice in an MRI.
Melbourne, Thursday 18 June
Sydney, Thursday 27 August
Book your tickets.
Horizon Europe GEAP Requirements: What Australian institutions need to know
The EU’s Gender Equality Action Plan requirements for Horizon Europe funding are creating new benchmarks for international research partnerships.
For those research intensive organisations already meeting the requirements, it provides new opportunities for research funding.
For those not quite there yet, it provides an opportune time for renewed focus on gender equity action.
We will be walking you through the practical implications—what this means for Australian institutions collaborating with European partners, and how these requirements might influence domestic expectations.
Universities Australia Solutions Summit
In February. SAGE attended the Universities Australia Solutions Summit in Canberra. We engaged with senior leaders across the sector about their university’s strengths, challenges and priorities in relation to gender equity, diversity and inclusion (GEDI).
Encouragingly, there was strong support for GEDI, with many leaders pointing to senior leadership buy-in, increased confidence in engaging with EDI issues, flexible work policies, and established peer networks as key strengths. Long-term action planning was also frequently cited.
However, leaders identified ongoing challenges in recruitment and promotion processes, where bias continues to persist. Several noted that where momentum on GEDI or SAGE/Athena Swan work has slowed, bias can quickly re-emerge in decision-making. This highlights the importance of not only maintaining momentum, but also developing deliberate strategies to sustain progress and guard against regression.
Areas for improvement centred on strengthening data analysis and evaluation capability, and, critically, translating data into meaningful and coordinated action across multiple areas of diversity.
Respect@Uni
The Respect at Uni Study released in February by the Australian Human Rights Commission makes one thing clear: racism remains a lived reality for too many people working and studying in Australia’s universities.
The study highlights the scale and persistence of racism in higher education, including antisemitism, Islamophobia, and the experiences of First Nations peoples.
The Findings
- 1 in 5 academic staff respondents report experiencing direct interpersonal racism at university.
- 80.0% of academic staff who experienced direct racism were dissatisfied with how their university handled their complaint.
- 67.2% of professional staff respondents reported the same dissatisfaction.
These figures reinforce policies and values statements alone do not create safe, inclusive workplaces.
We welcome the report’s acknowledgement of SAGE and the Athena Swan framework, alongside other sector-level initiatives, as part of the solution. The recommendations of the Respect at Uni Study strongly align with the core principles of Athena Swan.
Read the report.
