Workplace Gender Equality Targets – A Brief Overview

The Federal Government passed the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Setting Gender Equality Targets) Bill 2024 in March 2025. This introduces amendments to the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 and aims to hold employers more accountable towards improving gender equality. (Source: Parliament of Australia) 

Let’s look at what the changes are and what actions employers must take in more detail below. 

What has changed?  

The new legislation requires employers to select three gender equality targets from a defined list of numeric and action-based targets. Once targets are selected, employers must then ensure that they are met or action has been taken for improvement by the end of three years. (Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency) 

Who does this apply to?  

This legislation will apply to Designated Relevant Employers (DSE), which are defined as employers with 500 or more employees. This includes subsidiaries of foreign companies that have 500 or more employees directly employed with them in Australia. (Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency).  

DSEs will be required to select their targets starting from 2026. The below image from the WGEA website shows the timeframe for the target lifecycle. 

Image Source: WGEA 

What are the targets?  

19 different types of targets have been listed, of which 9 are numeric targets and 10 are action-based targets. Each of these targets falls under one of the six gender equality indicators (GEI). The list of 19 targets and their defined scope can be found on the resources published by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). Access it here. 

How can I select targets?  

DSEs will be provided with a Baseline Report based on the Gender Equality Reports they submit to the WGEA in 2025. They can then select their targets based on this report for the upcoming 3-year cycle commencing 2026. (Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency) 

What happens if I fail to comply? 

Organisations that fail to select targets or fail to show improvement on the selected targets at the end of their three-year cycle will be ineligible for Commonwealth procurement above $80,000.  

For more information and further clarifications, visit the WGEA website.