89 Degrees East

89 Degrees East are delighted to celebrate the incredible milestone of five transformative years of the Academy for Enterprising Girls today. It has been our privilege to support the development of this dynamic entrepreneurship program, available to young women across Australia aged 10 to 18. Funded by the Australian Government’s Women’s Leadership and Development Program and delivered in collaboration with the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA), the Academy is creating opportunities that inspire and empower the next generation of female leaders.   The program equips young women with vital skills such as an entrepreneurial mindset, critical thinking, and problem-solving—tools essential for thriving in a future where adaptability and innovation are key.  Over the past five years, the Academy has reached 22,596 young women,  nurtured 7,895 entrepreneurial ideas, and facilitated 458 impactful workshops across the country. These numbers reflect not just the scale but the profound impact of this initiative.  This journey would not have been possible without the incredible collaboration between COSBOA, our delivery partners Young Change Agents, The ASE Group, Tech Girls Movement Foundation, HEX, and the countless parents, teachers, and students who have championed and participated in the program.   Here’s to building an even brighter future for young women over the next five years and beyond! And finally, to our amazing Enterprising Girls & Women team—none of this would have been possible without your passion, dedication, and hard work. Thank you for everything you’ve done to make these programs such a success. You are truly INCREDIBLE! Fleur Anderson, Annie O'Rourke, Tegan Gilchrist, Sally Wagnon, Ella Brogan, Rachel Howard, Miriam Rizvi, Jessica Tancred, Alice Boogert, Paige Ellis, Darcie Williamson, Elissa Doherty, Glen Perry, Sophie Coyle, Margreet Wiegers, Va B., Sophie Griffin and Lauren Rigoni.

About 2,000 large Australian companies must meet at least three gender equality targets under new legislation introduced yesterday by Assistant Minister for Women Kate Thwaites. This initiative aims to strengthen requirements for obtaining government contracts. Employers with over 500 employees must choose three targets from six options that promote gender equality, including: - Gender composition of boards and workforce - Reduction of the gender pay gap - Flexible working arrangements - Workplace consultation on gender equality - Efforts to prevent sexual harassment Companies will have three years to achieve these targets. Failure to do so will result in ineligibility for government contracts above a certain threshold, and their performance will be publicly disclosed by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). Employee engagement is a vital component of the six Gender Equality Indicators established by WGEA, and we are here to make it a top priority. The Equal Workplaces process is expertly designed to capture and harness your workforce’s views, perspectives, and experiences. We leverage these insights to craft a tailored gender equality strategy fully aligned with WGEA’s indicators. Reach out to Equal Workplaces today for a complimentary 30-minute discovery session. https://lnkd.in/g848tkj7 Together, we will elevate employee engagement and implement a powerful gender equality strategy that drives meaningful change.

We know that many employers lack the time, resources, or expertise to authentically engage their staff on gender equality. Yet employee engagement is a crucial component of WGEA reporting. Raising awareness is one of the most effective ways to promote gender equality in the workplace. Companies reporting to Workplace Gender Equality Agency are asked whether they have consulted employees on issues around gender equality in the workplace and many respond that they do not have the resources to do so. The Equal Workplaces process is anchored in employee engagement. Through our work, we have the opportunity to talk with staff in a range of industries, workplace sizes and levels of seniority. We are constantly surprised by how few people understand some of the basics, such as the important difference between equal pay and the gender pay gap. This is a crucial piece of knowledge because, unless your employees understand this difference, they don’t understand the ways your gender pay gap applies to them. The National Gender Equality Strategy—Working for Women—foreshadowed new requirements for employers with 500 or more employees. New legislation will require these employers to commit to targets and achieve them in order to access government procurement opportunities. As one of the six WGEA Gender Equality Indicators, employee engagement is a key area to focus on. The Equal Workplaces process is centred on this engagement, allowing us to listen to the views, perspectives, and experiences of your workforce. We use these insights to inform a bespoke gender equality strategy that is aligned with WGEA’s six Gender Equality Indicators. Contact Equal Workplaces today for a free 30-minute discovery session. Our work together will support your employee engagement and inform a meaningful gender equality strategy. https://lnkd.in/eWAjwGt8 #GenderPayGap #GenderEquity #GenderEquality

New research lead by our very own Dr Rebecca Huntley has found that women disproportionately feel that the cost of living has impacted their ability to pay for life insurance, compared to men. With many women holding the pen on their personal and family finances, it’s women who are largely trying to find the balance between planning for the future and just getting through today. Women are being forced to make tough decisions and cut out things that were previously deemed “essential” for our safety net– like life insurance. Check out the op-ed Rebecca has written

We're at our Kickstarter event today celebrating five brilliant women founders, we also launched the Future Female Entrepreneurship and Business Leadership Decadal Plan. With the next ten years as its timeline, the Decadal Plan exposes ten baseline facts, sets ten big ambitions and outlines ten recommendations to fundamentally change the operating environment for women entrepreneurs. Please see the report here: https://lnkd.in/gdyCY7-Z A huge thank you to Rachel Howard for your insights, leadership and hard work on this important piece of work. Enterprising ME #DecadalPlan Glenn Byres

Textio's latest data on workplace bias underscores a critical issue: high-performing employees, particularly women, receive less helpful feedback. This feedback is often influenced by race and gender, leading to women receiving more personality-based feedback and less actionable input compared to men, even when they are top performers. The study also revealed that women are subjected to negative stereotypes at work up to seven times more frequently than men. Equal Workplaces can help address this gender feedback gap within your company. Contact us at www.equalworkplaces.com.au Read the full research report here: https://lnkd.in/gBac6_hx Rachel Howard

Australians are comfortable with more medium density housing to help solve the affordability crisis with one big but . . . They don’t want it built near them. New research by 89 Degrees East reveals the closer new housing proposals are located to someone, the more likely they are to oppose it. For more information, contact our Director of Policy, Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement Glenn Byres or Director of Research, Dr Rebecca Huntley

It doesn’t add up! Today is Equal Pay Day. On this day, it takes women an additional 50 days into the new financial year to earn the same as their male counterparts. Research from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency reveals the three main contributors to Australia’s gender pay gap: - Gender Discrimination (36%) - Care and Family Responsibilities and Workforce Participation (33%) - Gender Segregation by Job Type and Industry (24%) The national gender pay gap in Australia is 11.5%. For every dollar on average men earned, women earned 89 cents. That's $231.50 less than men each week. Employers, take action now. Get in touch with Equal Workplaces now to fix your company’s gender pay gap. https://lnkd.in/g848tkj7 Australian Bureau of Statistics #EqualPayDay #GenderPayGap

Governments and developers need to reimagine the ways they consult communities on future housing plans. Right now, they’re talking to existing homeowners. But Australians currently locked out of the housing market are being missed in the debate. The findings are revealed in new research released by 89 Degrees East that includes a wide range of insights on the attitudes of Australians to housing. Or read Glenn’s opinion piece in The Fifth Estate.

Housing costs are at the epicentre of Australia’s cost-of-living crunch. Over one-third of all Australians are facing housing stress but there’s a clear generational split. The findings are included in new research released by 89 Degrees East that includes a wide range of insights on the attitudes of Australians to housing. For more information, contact our Director of Policy, Advocacy and Stakeholder Engagement Glenn Byres or Director of Research, Dr Rebecca Huntley