Our commitment to gender equality
Victoria Legal Aid committed to establishing a gender equitable, safe, inclusive, and respectful workplace for all staff. Our services also need to support equal access to legal assistance for our clients and the community.
We acknowledge, respect, and value gender diversity. We listen to people’s lived experience of gender discrimination and disadvantage and use these insights to help:
- improve the Victorian justice system
- improve the Victorian social system
- promote cultural and attitudinal change in the broader community. This applies to women and people who are trans and gender diverse.
Our staff
The diversity of genders within our workforce includes people who identify as men, women, trans and gender diverse. We acknowledge greater awareness, support and focus is required for us to improve our workplace culture, so all staff feel visible, safe and supported.
All staff contribute highly to our organisation through their shared experiences and views. Their lived experience and gender diversity, cultural backgrounds, faiths and traditions brings richness to our organisation and to the community.
Equality matters to us. That’s why we are taking steps to build an even more inclusive and supportive workplace where everybody feels heard, and where their differences, backgrounds and rights are respected.
Our plan
The Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP) forms part of Our Inclusion Framework along with our other diversity and inclusion plans. These plans can be found under More information.
Read the plan:
The GEAP is part of our diversity and inclusion journey, laying out our goals and progress. It also ensures we remain accountable both to our staff and the community.
Focus areas
The plan has been developed in line with our obligations under the Gender Equality Act 2020. It contains eight strategy focus areas which incorporate the gender equality indicators in the Act.
Each area has specific measures of success that will bring about organisational change over the next four years. These will also ensure that staff of all genders feel safe, visible and included in our workplace.
Our focus areas are:
- gender pay equity
- gender composition of the workforce
- leadership and accountability
- workplace sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination
- recruitment and promotion practices in the workplace
- leave and flexible work, flexible working arrangements, and family and caring responsibilities
- improving data on gender and intersectionality in our workforce
- embedding gender equality in our programs and services.
Our GEAP was approved by the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector in June 2022.
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