The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has released the Gender Equality Scorecard based on the 2024-25 employer data. This offers a compelling snapshot of how Medical Research Institutes (MRIs) are progressing on key gender equity indicators.
Early insights show a consistent trend: SAGE subscriber MRIs are outperforming non-subscribers across pay equity, workplace safety and gender equality strategies, with the divide becoming increasingly pronounced.
It is important to note that this dataset reports on binary gender categories only (women and men), reflecting the current scope of WGEA’s national reporting framework. SAGE recognises this limitation and remains committed to supporting evidence-informed approaches that advance equity and inclusion for people of all genders.
1. Gender Pay Gap: SAGE Subscribers Reducing While Others Widen
This year’s pay equity results show a clear and accelerating divide between subscribers and non-subscribers.
The current gap for SAGE subscribers sits at 6.4%, compared to 9.7% for non-subscribers.
Comparing the 2023-24 figures with those of 2022-23, subscribers have reduced their pay gap from 7.8% to 6.4%, while the non-subscribers’ gender pay gap widened from 9.0% to 9.7%.
Subscribers are taking action and more of it. Every subscriber MRI has:
- Conducted a gender pay gap analysis, compared to 76% of non-subscribers
- Acted on pay gap analysis findings, compared to 52% of non-subscribers. This is a notably stronger improvement compared with the previous year (71% for subscribers vs 33% for non-subscribers).
Subscribers are also more proactive in transparency and root-cause identification than non-subscribers:
- Identified drivers of pay gaps: 67% vs 40%
- Reported pay equity metrics to:
- All employees: 50% vs 20%
- Executive leadership: 67% vs 44%
- Governing bodies: 83% vs 32%
2. Responding to Sex-Based Harassment: Stronger Reporting and Accountability
All SAGE subscribers have a formal policy or strategy for preventing and responding to sexual harassment and sex discrimination, and 83% have a risk management plan.
The data also highlights significant differences in how institutions handle sexual and sex-based harassment. Subscribers demonstrate stronger safety and reporting practices, as they are more likely to:
- Collect anonymous disclosures: 50% vs 32%
- Track formal complaints: 100% vs 80%
- Track informal disclosures: 83% vs 60%
Reporting to leadership also shows a clear divide. Subscribers are more than three times as likely to report incidents to their CEO (50% vs 16%) and are more likely to provide updates to their governing body as well (33% vs 28%).
For many of these measures, subscribers improved from the previous year. By contrast, several non-subscribers saw declines, creating a widening gap in workplace safety transparency and commitments.
3. Gender Equality Policies: Subscribers Lead on Strategy and Retention
Subscribers continue to outpace non-subscribers in building the policy foundations needed for sustained gender equity progress.
A large majority of subscribers (83%) have policies or strategies in place to support gender equality in retention. Among non-subscribers, fewer than half (44%) have similar frameworks.
Additionally, all SAGE subscriber institutions have policies or strategies to support:
- Recruitment: 100% vs 88%
- Promotions: 100% vs 48%
- Training and Development: 100% vs 27%
What This Means for the Sector
The initial WGEA dataset confirms what SAGE has continued to observe over time: institutions that engage with structured gender equity frameworks, such as SAGE, achieve stronger and more measurable outcomes.
Medical Research Institutes that subscribe to SAGE are:
- Closing gender pay gaps faster
- Embedding stronger transparency and accountability
- Creating safer workplaces
- Implementing more robust gender equality policy foundations
As more detailed datasets become available, SAGE will continue to share insights to help institutions benchmark their progress and drive meaningful, measurable improvement in equity across the STEM and medical research sectors.
