Working in partnership with the Australian Government Office for Women and a national team of leading academics, the Working for Women Research Partnership builds the evidence base needed to inform government policy, industry practice and workplace design to advance gender equality across Australia.
From 2025 to 2030, the Partnership draws on decades of interdisciplinary expertise to strengthen collaboration across universities, industry, unions and the community sector. This innovative five-year partnership delivers data-driven actionable insights to support targeted government action and a more gender-equal economy.
About the research
The Research Partnership seeks to build the robust evidence base needed to address persistent gender gaps in the workforce to underpin the Federal Government’s Working for Women: A Strategy for Gender Equality.
Each year, the research team investigates a key theme and workforce cohort. The research centres the voices of key demographic groups among the diverse Australian population that are significantly affected by gender inequality at work. Applying an intersectional lens, the partnership addresses critical gaps in knowledge to understand lived experiences of women in the labour market.
The partnership explores themes related to high-quality flexible work, gender segregation in male-dominated and female-dominated industries, unpaid care and work, workplace sexual harassment and discrimination, and the impact of gender-based violence on women’s employment and economic security.
Research priorities and data collection will amplify the voices of women who are underrepresented in research and public policy. This includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, LGBTQI+ and migrant workers, as well as women living in regional, rural and remote areas, and women living with disability or chronic health conditions. Through mixed methods research, culturally-informed and Indigenous-led methodologies as well as trauma-informed approaches are undertaken where relevant.
