Landmark Women@Work Conference to boost workplace equality

Businesses are invited to register their interest in being part of a landmark conference about gender pay equity.

The Women@Work Conference on Wednesday 21 March will provide a platform to act on the gender pay gap and the economic and workforce consequences of persistent gender inequity for Victorian workers and businesses, in the lead up to Equal Pay Day in September 2018.

A major initiative of Industrial Relations Victoria, the Equal Workplaces Advisory Council and the Office for Prevention and Women’s Equality, the conference will engage businesses, influencers and decision-makers to champion gender equity and equal pay in the workplace.

To be held at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) at Federation Square, the conference will provide practical tools for businesses and organisations to enable them to boost workplace equality.

The Victorian Government is sponsoring this conference as a free event as an opportunity for businesses and organisations to have the tools and information they need to take a leadership role in workplace equality.

The conference will use experts to explain the gender pay gap and demonstrate a business case for its closure.

It will focus on equal pay and flexible work. This includes training and information on how gender pay gaps develop, how to conduct a gender pay audit, how to implement flexible work arrangements and employer OHS obligations in relation to sexual harassment.

Participants will learn about what Government is doing to address gender pay inequality and have the opportunity to ask frank, honest questions about business considerations for closing the gender pay gap.

To register your interest in attending, please send your details to: irv.info@ecodev.vic.gov.au.

Women@Work Conference

Building Equal Workplaces

21 March 2018
Australian Centre of the Moving Image (ACMI) Federation Square

Agenda

The agenda for the conference is as follows:

Time	Agenda item	Location
12:30pm	Doors open, registration	The Lightwell
1pm	Opening address MC Martine Harte – Director, Engaging Women	Cinema 2
1:10pm	Equal Workplaces for Victorian Women The Hon. Natalie Hutchins, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Women	Cinema 2
1:30pm	Panel and Q&A session: The Gender Pay Gap and the Questions You Can’t Ask Moderator: Liberty Sanger – Principal, Board Member and Practice Group Leader at Maurice Blackburn and Chair of the Equal Workplaces Advisory Council Panellists: Julie Lander – CEO CareSuper Pia Cerveri – Women’s and Equality Co-Lead Organiser, Victorian Trades Hall Council Santilla Chingaipe – Journalist/Filmmaker	Cinema 2
2:45pm	Afternoon tea	The Lightwell
3:30pm	Break-out sessions: Practical ‘How-To’s’ for Industry and Employers How to undertake a gender/equal pay audit Workplace Gender Equality Agency How to implement flexible work arrangements Office of Prevention and Women’s Equality and Australian Industry Group How to address gendered violence and OHS obligations Victorian Trades Hall Council Each break-out session will contribute some of the material for the ‘Gender Pay Equality Toolkits’	Cinema 1 Cinema 2 The Cube
4:30pm	Panel and Q&A session: ‘Shifting the Dial’: The Business Case for Closing the Gender Pay Gap Moderator: MC Martine Harte Panellists: Fiona Vines – Global Head, Inclusion & Diversity BHP Julie Toth – Chief Economist, Australian Industry Group Professor Jeff Borland – Academic Economist, The University of Melbourne	Cinema 2
5:30pm	Keynote speech: A ‘call to action’ on gender equality Jackie Woods, Engagement Executive Manager, Workplace Gender Equality Agency	The Lightwell
6pm	Gender Equality Pledge and closing address MC Martine Harte	The Lightwell
6:30pm	Networking event commencing with address: Celebration of ‘Safe and Strong: A Victorian Gender Equality Strategy’ – Actions and Achievements Report, Year One The Hon. Natalie Hutchins, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Women	The Lightwell
7:30pm	Close