Australia launches gender equity benchmark for tech

Project F and the Tech Council of Australia have published Australia's first common benchmark for gender equity in technology. The report finds that most participating employers already have several core measures in place.

The inaugural T-EDI Standards Impact Report says employers commonly offer flexible work, parental leave, defined salary ranges and executive-level diversity strategies to support women entering and progressing in technical roles. It also says more is needed to keep experienced women in technical careers, including redesigning roles so they can be done part-time, setting specific gender balance targets and sharing pay ranges with candidates.

Launched in 2024, the benchmark gives employers a common way to assess and track their practices. It is intended for organisations with technical staff across business, universities and government agencies.

The findings come against a broader workforce imbalance in Australian technology. Research cited in the report shows women make up 49 per cent of Australia's workforce but only 20 per cent of its highly technical workforce, and that women leave those roles at nearly twice the rate of men after age 40.

That has made retention a central issue for employers trying to expand technical teams. The report argues that keeping experienced staff helps organisations retain institutional knowledge, reduce recruitment and training costs, and avoid productivity losses while roles remain unfilled.

In the 18 months since the standards were introduced, half of participating organisations have made progress on their action plans. The report notes that changes in areas such as pay transparency, leadership accountability and work design often take years to deliver.

Retention focus

Tech Council of Australia Chief Executive Officer Kate Cornick linked the benchmark to the industry's broader labour needs.

"Australia has a goal to reach 1.2 million tech workers by 2030. Attracting and keeping experienced women in technical roles is essential to getting there. The T-EDI Standards give employers a practical way to see what is working and where the gaps are, and the Tech Council encourages more organisations to adopt them," Cornick said.

According to Project F, organisations that have signed up to the standards collectively employ more than 900,000 Australians. Project F Founder Emma Jones said the report showed where employers could shift their attention after years of focusing on entry pathways.

"We thank the organisations that have signed up to the T-EDI Standards. Together they employ more than 900,000 Australians. The sector has worked hard to bring women into tech, and this report shows how employers can help experienced women stay and progress once they are there," Jones said.

Commonwealth Bank, one of the founding partners, used the assessment as an external review of its approach to gender equity in technology. The process helped leaders compare existing efforts against a common framework.

"The T-EDI assessment gave us an external perspective on work that is complex and multifaceted. We have been focused on gender equity in technology for some time, and the assessment let us step back and look at our efforts through a different lens. It has given leaders a common reference point and greater clarity on where we are making progress and where our collective attention can have the greatest impact," said Commonwealth Bank Executive General Manager, HR for Technology & AI Jane Adams.

Common framework

The standards consist of 98 measures across 10 categories designed to identify structural issues linked to the underrepresentation of women in technical work. The model is intended to help employers benchmark current practice, identify priority areas and measure change over time.

Supporters say the framework's value lies in creating a shared set of definitions, rather than leaving each organisation to devise its own approach. That matters in a sector where hiring practices, career progression and job design vary widely across large companies, public sector employers and academic institutions.

Future Skills Organisation Chief Executive Officer Patrick Kidd said the framework gave employers a practical reference point.

"In a fast-moving technology sector, employers need clear guidance on good practice. The T-EDI Standards create a common language, set out what works and give organisations a practical way to improve workplace practice over time," Kidd said.

The report's central argument is that employers have already adopted many baseline policies, but those measures on their own may not be enough to keep women in technical roles through mid-career and beyond. Its recommendations focus less on recruitment and more on how work is structured, how pay is communicated and how leaders are held accountable for gender balance outcomes.

Participating organisations are using the benchmark to compare policy settings and workplace design against the standards, with progress measured through action plans. Half have advanced those plans so far, which the report presents as early movement in a process that often requires organisational and cultural change over several years.