Equal, Safe and Strong - Victoria Police Gender Equality Strategy

In 2020 Victoria Police set the ambitious goal to achieve sustainable gender equality by 2030.

Built upon five years of organisational reforms, Equal, Safe and Strong – Victoria Police Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2030 (the strategy) provides the roadmap for how Victoria Police will continue to transform to become a gender equal organisation, where all our people can thrive in their service to the community.

Strong accountability across all levels of the workforce is vital if we are to achieve the scope and scale of this change.

Our organisational accountability is governed by the Gender Equality Act 2020 (the Act) which mandates that Victoria Police takes positive action towards achieving workplace gender equality and publicly reports on our progress.

The Victoria Police ten-year strategy was built on five years of collaborative effort with the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC). This partnership gave us a deep understanding of the unique challenges we face as an organisation in achieving sustainable gender equality.

The establishment of the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector (the Commission) provided Victoria Police with the opportunity to further strengthen our approach by providing a legislative framework with clear external accountabilities. The strategy ensures we meet our requirements under the Act, while continuing our role as leaders in gender equality reform.

The Gender Equality Act 2020

The Gender Equality Act 2020 (the Act), which took effect on 31 March 2021, will improve workplace gender equality across the Victorian public sector.

The Act requires defined entities to: 

• develop and implement a gender equality action plan, which includes:
  • results of a workplace gender audit
  • strategies for achieving workplace gender equality
• publicly report on their progress in relation to workplace gender equality
• promote gender equality in policies, programs and services that impact the public
• complete gender impact assessments.

Developing a meaningful Equal, Safe and Strong action plan

The Gender Equality and Inclusion Command (GEIC) coordinated the development of this first Equal, Safe & Strong action plan. Aligned with the requirements of the Commission, the action plan was developed through the following process.

Our first step in drafting the action plan was to conduct a Workplace Gender Audit on our three distinct employee types: police officers, Victorian Public Service employees and Protective Services Officers (PSOs). 

This painted a picture of the current state of gender equality in Victoria Police as at 30 June 2021. The audit assessed the organisation according to the seven indicators outlined in the Act¹.  The data was submitted to the Commission on 1 December 2021 to be made publicly available. 

We strengthened our understanding of the current opportunities and obstacles by reviewing our 2021 People Matter Survey data and the extent to which we have successfully implemented the recommendations made by VEOHRC in its two independent audits².

An important part of the development of the action plan was engaging closely with our people to draw on their experience and jointly explore future areas of focus.

Our approach to meaningful consultation included regular communication about the development of the action plan and sharing the results of the Workplace Gender Audit. We invited employee input using an online feedback form, with over 1,500 responses received. 

We also conducted focus groups with a representative sample of the workforce and our employee networks, including our Women in Policing Committees and Advisory Group, Pride Network (LGBTIQ+ employees), Enablers Network (employees with a disability), the Aboriginal Employee Network Council and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Networks. These consultations provided an intersectional lens to our work.

We engaged with our employee representative bodies, the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) and The Police Association of Victoria (TPAV), to ensure that our work was informed by their understanding of the challenges facing our employees. This included obtaining their feedback on the Workplace Gender Audit and engaging in an ongoing dialogue on our areas of focus and proposed actions.

Working closely with our Gender Equality Outcomes Committee (GEOC), consisting of our partners in key commands and departments, and internal working groups, we consolidated our data and feedback to jointly develop 29 actions.

We also coordinated a Strategy Resource Plan to outline the resources and governance structures that will deliver our actions.

As a result of this approach, the action plan reflects the expertise, experience and voices of our people and partners. The success of its implementation relies on continuing this collaboration.
 

^{1 The Gender Equality Act 2020 indicators are: Gender composition at all levels of the workforce, Gender composition of governing bodies, Gender pay equity, Workplace sexual harassment, Recruitment and promotion, Leave and flexibility and Gendered work segregation.}

^{2 Victorian Equal Opportunity Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) (2015) Independent Review into sex discrimination and sexual harassment, including predatory behaviour in Victoria Police. Phase 1 report, Victorian Equal Opportunity Human Rights Commission, Melbourne, Australia.}

^{Victorian Equal Opportunity Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) (2019) Independent Review into sex discrimination and sexual harassment, including predatory behaviour in Victoria Police. Phase 3 audit and review, Victorian Equal Opportunity Human Rights Commission, Melbourne, Australia.}

The state of gender equality in Victoria Police

Victoria Police began demonstrating significant leadership in gender equality when it invited VEOHRC to uncover the systemic harm and disadvantage experienced by women in our organisation.

Since 2015, we have been transparent in confronting our past mistakes and in reforming the elements of our practice and culture that allowed these to occur. Through an extensive program of work across the organisation^₃, we have begun to transform into a modern policing organisation that is disrupting a deeply entrenched culture of discrimination and high tolerance for gendered harm^4.

In setting the foundations for the achievement of sustainable gender equality by 2030, this action plan prioritises building the capability of our leaders to create safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces, and strengthening our response to gendered workplace harm.

These two areas of focus emerged as our most pressing issues in our analysis of the current state of gender equality at Victoria Police.

Our data continues to reveal the impact of gendered stereotypes in our organisation. In particular, we are concerned that:

• women continue to experience gendered workplace harm but the overwhelming majority do not feel safe to report (see Figure 2 and 3)⁵  
• men are over represented in police leadership positions and opportunities for career advancement (see Figure 4)⁶ 
• only a quarter of our workforce consider that our organisation makes fair recruitment and promotion decisions based on merit (see Figure 5)⁷  
• there is a significant over-representation of women in lower ranks in flexible and part-time work, with only 42 percent of all employees who believe there is a positive culture within Victoria Police in relation to employees who use flexible work arrangements (see Figure 6)⁸.

Signs of progress

While this data demonstrates that gender inequality persists in our organisation, signs of positive change are emerging:

• In the twelve months to June 2021, the proportion of women police officers successfully securing promotion reached levels closer to the workforce gender composition than in previous years⁹
• The majority of employees agree that Victoria Police’s commitment to gender equality reform has improved in the last year¹⁰
• Sixty-five per cent agree that their manager is active in driving gender equality initiatives in the workplace¹¹.

The benefits of gender equality

There is clear evidence to demonstrate that achieving sustainable gender equality will benefit our people, our organisation and our community.¹²

Reduced gendered workplace harm 

By creating gender equal workplaces, we will disrupt the enabling environment which allows gendered workplace harm to occur. Removing gendered stereotypes, which confine our people to perform according to outdated and narrow understandings of policing, will result in a safer workplace for all genders.

More capable and modern police force

Evidence shows that diverse and inclusive teams are more productive and innovative¹³. By removing gendered barriers to career advancement, we ensure that we have access to the full talent pool and build a workforce that reflects the capabilities and values of a modern policing organisation. 

Enhanced service to the community

Gendered violence, including family violence and sexual offending, is a major threat to community safety and Victoria Police is on the frontline. Achieving gender equality will strengthen community trust that we are a safe organisation to report gendered violence to and that perpetrators will be held to account.

Strengthening our approach using an intersectional lens

Gender inequality can be compounded by other forms of discrimination and disadvantage. Intersectionality acknowledges that a person's characteristics are not mutually exclusive, but rather build upon one another leading to layers of discrimination and workplace harm. Victoria Police recognises that gendered workplace harm is often exacerbated by other systemic barriers, limiting the ability of our people to bring their whole selves to work.

The action plan also complements organisational diversity and inclusion strategies and actions plans for:

• lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer employees 
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees 
• culturally and linguistically diverse employees 
• employees with disability. 

^{3 For a detailed summary of the progress we have made since 2015, refer to Equal, Safe & Strong Victoria Police Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2030, 8-9.
4 Victorian Equal Opportunity Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) (2019) Independent Review into sex discrimination and sexual harassment, including predatory behaviour in Victoria Police. Phase 3 audit and review, Victorian Equal Opportunity Human Rights Commission, Melbourne, Australia.
5 People Matter Survey – Victoria Police (2021)
6 Victoria Police (2021) Workplace Gender Audit
7 People Matter Survey – Victoria Police (2021)
8 People Matter Survey – Victoria Police (2021)
9 Victoria Police (2021) Workplace Gender Audit
10 People Matter Survey – Victoria Police (2021)
11 People Matter Survey- Victoria Police (2021)
12 Victorian Equal Opportunity Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) (2019) Independent Review into sex discrimination and sexual harassment, including predatory behaviour in Victoria Police. Phase 3 audit and review, Victorian Equal Opportunity Human Rights Commission, Melbourne, Australia.
13 Saxena, A. (2014) Workforce diversity: A key to improve productivity. Procedia Economics and Finance, 11(1), 76-85.}
 

Our first Equal, Safe and Strong action plan consists of 29 actions that will be delivered by commands and departments across the organisation.

Our Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning framework is a project management tool designed to keep us on track to meet each action’s implementation milestones.

^{14 Refer to Equal, Safe and Strong Victoria Police Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2030, Appendix 1 Program logic.}
 

To comply with the Act and demonstrate material progress towards sustainable gender equality, Victoria Police has committed to an ambitious set of actions. We have developed a Strategy Resource Plan which outlines how we will deliver these actions.

Responsibility for the actions in the plan will be shared across key commands and departments. HRC will provide ongoing coordination, support and expertise.

The first Equal, Safe and Strong action plan spans three financial years as depicted below.

Existing resources will be relied upon in the remainder of the 2021–2022 financial year to ensure appropriate project planning and preparatory work. For the financial years spanning 2022–2024, dedicated resources will acquit the actions and ensure they achieve their intended impact.

A strong governance framework will provide the leadership and resourcing to drive implementation of the action plan. This framework consists of three mechanisms:

Gender Equality Outcomes Committee (GEOC)

GEOC is chaired by the Assistant Commissioner of HRC and comprises the Executive Directors and Assistant Commissioners responsible for delivering the actions to implement Equal, Safe and Strong.

GEOC meets quarterly to oversee progress, monitor accountability and strengthen a shared sense of ownership to gender equality outcomes.

Gender Equality Outcomes Working Group (GEOWG)

The GEOWG is chaired by HRC and comprises of senior managers from commands and departments accountable for the actions.

The working group will meet quarterly to advise on progress against milestones and identify opportunities for alignment and collaboration across the organisation.

Command/departmental working group 

Each accountable senior manager will chair a dedicated working group within their own command and department to drive the implementation of their actions with their project owners.

HRC will be represented at each working group to provide expertise in support of implementation.

Victoria Police has developed the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) framework to support the achievement of sustainable gender equality by 2030.

The action plan has been designed to make material progress towards these outcomes and the seven workplace gender equality indicators in the Act. 

Action owners are responsible for the effective delivery of actions and for reporting on their progress to HRC.

HRC is responsible for overall program management to coordinate, monitor and guide the action plan’s implementation. 

This will be achieved using the MEL framework, which includes the following components:

Monitoring

We will monitor implementation of Equal, Safe and Strong by reviewing the:

• completion of action milestones across the three years
• progress towards each action’s strategic intent.

Evaluation

We will evaluate annually the implementation of Equal, Safe and Strong by measuring:

• established key performance indicators and milestones
• the effectiveness and impact according to their strategic intent and the six long-term outcomes.

Learning

We will ensure continuous learning from our implementation of Equal, Safe and Strong through an annual report which:

• identifies the achievements and challenges in the implementation of the actions
• allows opportunity to pivot future implementation according to lessons learned
• informs the development of actions in the 2024-2027 action plan. 

As part of our obligations under the Act, in October 2023 we will submit our first progress report to the Gender Equality Commission. 
 

Gender

Gender is a social construct that creates social expectations on sexed bodies as expressed by clothes, physical appearance or pronouns.

Many people see themselves as a man, woman, a combination of both or neither.

This is as distinct to sex, which refers to a person’s biological sex characteristics which includes male, female and intersex.

Gender attuned capability

This is an employee capability ‘attuned’ or focussed on understanding gender equality and working in ways that locate and mitigate gender inequality.

The capability requires knowledge and practice in understanding gender dynamics.

Gender equality

The Victorian Gender Equality Act 2020 defines gender equality as “equality of rights, opportunities, responsibilities and outcome between persons of different genders”.

This includes equal access to economic, social, cultural and political participation and freedoms.

Gender equality is premised on valuing all genders equally, recognising their similarities and the differences and the value of the various roles they may play in the social context.

Gender equity

The process of being fair and driving justice for all genders, with a focus on parity of outcome.

Gender equity may involve the use of temporary special measures to ease a bias or systematic discrimination. An example may be offering additional paid parental leave to men to encourage their uptake participate in the primary care of their children.

Gender impact assessment

This involves undertaking a systematic and purposeful, evidence informed gender assessment of a policy, program, service or process. This explores and assesses the explicit, unintended or hidden impacts and outcomes of a policy, program or strategy across genders.

Under the Gender Equality Act 2020, Gender Impact Assessments (GIA) are mandatory for all new or revised policies, programs and services that directly impact community. In Victoria Police, GIAs will also be applied to internal facing work as this will have a direct impact on our service delivery.

Gendered violence

This term refers to violence against a person because of their gender.

This type of violence disproportionately effects women.

In this document, gendered violence is an umbrella term covering any way a person can experience discrimination, harm or violence based on their gender in their private lives, at home, with their family and in the community.

Gendered workplace harm

This umbrella term covers any way a person experiences discrimination, harm or violence based on their gender, in the workplace.

Intersectional

The way in which people’s attributes (such as race, gender, ability, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual identity and socio-economic status) interact to shape their experience of individual, cultural and structural oppression, discrimination, violence and disadvantage or conversely privilege.

Adopting an intersectional approach recognises that people’s experience of gender inequality cannot be separated from their experience of other aspects of their identity or their access to resources, power and privilege.

Knowledge and learning framework

This is a framework that is outcome focussed and brings together traditional knowledge channels (training for example) but with the addition of assessment, experiential learning or practice to transition knowledge to learning.

It is outcome rather than knowledge focussed and takes the learner from ‘knowing’ better to ‘doing’ better.

Onboarding program

This is a series of tools and actions carried out by supervisors to introduce and embed the new incumbent into the workplace. It is the final aspect of the recruitment phase.

Onboarding ensures early performance, can reduce backlash, assist selection transparency and reduce attrition.

Place Based Pilot

The Place Based Pilot is a new way by which Victoria Police is going to achieve gender equality in all our workplaces. HRC will work in partnership with local workplaces to build their capability to deliver on gender equality outcomes.

It commences with a pilot of two uniform stations to test new ways of working and inform broader application.

Program logic

A program logic model is a schematic representation that describes how a program is intended to work by linking activities with outputs, intended to work by linking activities with outputs, intermediate outcomes and longer-term outcomes.

Suitability assessment

This refers to a suite of assessment tools and activities drawn on in candidate selection or assessment. Introducing suitability assessments is designed to provide our selection panels with a more robust and meaningful range of information with which to make candidate selections.

Transition management

This refers to a suite of tools and supports designed to enhance transition from one role, workplace or employment context to another.

It can refer to transition to/or from parental leave, return to work from injury, transition to retirement, promotion, or exit across the employment lifecycle.

Workplace gender audit

This audit is mandated by the Gender Equality in the Public Sector Commission under the Gender Equality Act.

It sets out a series of workforce data points aggregated by gender and forms the baseline against which our material progress on gender equality will be measured.

Problem

Strict adherence to gender stereotypes has negatively impacted police culture, amplifying inequality. 

Solution

Sustainable gender equality by 2030.