The Australian Government introduced legislation into Parliament in March 2012 to retain and improve the Equal Opportunity for women in the Workplace (EOWW) Act and the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency. The EOWW Amendment Bill successfully passed through Parliament on 22 November 2012.
The new Act is called the Workplace Gender Equality Act and the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency is now the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.
The principal objects of the amended Act are:
to promote and improve gender equality (including equal remuneration between women and men) in employment and in the workplace; and
to support employers to remove barriers to the full and equal participation of women
in the workforce, in recognition of the disadvantaged position of women in relation to employment matters; and
to promote, amongst employers, the elimination of discrimination on the basis of gender in relation to employment matters (including in relation to family and caring responsibilities); and
to foster workplace consultation between employers and employees on issues concerning gender equality in employment and in the workplace; and
to improve the productivity and competitiveness of Australian business through the advancement of gender equality in employment and in the workplace.
WGEA Factsheet [138.4 kB]
WGEA Factsheet [293 kB]