Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Employer Statement

Published March 2026

WGEA is a Commonwealth Government agency established by the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (the Act).

The Act requires employers with 100 or more employees to report annually against six gender equality indicators.

As Australia’s national science agency, delivering science that improves the lives of every Australian takes a diversity of minds. We are committed to fostering a fair, equitable and inclusive workplace. We have come a long way, but there is still more to do.

Key results

CSIRO has been publishing our gender pay gap in our Annual Report since 2023, before it was a mandatory requirement for Commonwealth Organisations to report to WGEA.

Public sector results published by WGEA in March 2026 captures data from the 2024 calendar year (referred to as the 2024-2025 public sector reporting period).

CSIRO’s gender pay gap has improved by 1.7 percentage points (average total remuneration) compared to the previous year. The Professional, Scientific and Technical Services industry gender pay gap is 16.4 per cent¹ and Commonwealth agencies of similar size, but not necessarily the same industry, is 4.8 per cent¹. 

Like most organisations, CSIRO’s gender pay gap is influenced by how women and men are represented across roles and pay levels, including leadership. A range of internal and external factors contribute to these patterns, and we remain committed to further understanding these differences and addressing them through meaningful action.

What are we doing to achieve gender equity?

Achieving and maintaining equity requires sustained action over time. Through CSIRO’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Strategy, our Gender Equity Action Plan and organisational culture actions we continue to address systemic factors to foster respect and inclusivity, reset gender norms and create equity for all.

Some of the progress we have made and actions we plan to focus on include:

• Continued focus on increasing women and diversity in research and leadership appointments through inclusive recruitment initiatives.
• Progress toward silver accreditation through the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Athena Swan program.
• Updates to our Enterprise Agreement focusing on flexible work, increases toward more equitable parental leave and uncapped domestic family violence and abuse leave.
• Continuing to promote flexible work and encouraging equal gender uptake to cultivate a more balanced approach to caregiving.
• Continued identification of equity barriers to leadership and internal advancement. Our talent and succession planning process proactively considers our female talent pipeline and takes action to ensure balanced representation.
• Investing in female talent by supporting equitable access to internal leadership development programs with women making up 50.9 per cent of attendees in the 2025 cohorts.
• Strengthening the STEM pipeline by actively engaging women participating in STEM education.  

We acknowledge there are multiple dimensions to gender. For more information on how WGEA defines gender for data collection and calculates gender pay gaps please visit: WGEA Work Place Profile and WGEA What is the Gender Pay Gap

Published March 2026

WGEA is a Commonwealth Government agency established by the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (the Act).

The Act requires employers with 100 or more employees to report annually against six gender equality indicators.

As Australia’s national science agency, delivering science that improves the lives of every Australian takes a diversity of minds. We are committed to fostering a fair, equitable and inclusive workplace. We have come a long way, but there is still more to do.

Key results

CSIRO has been publishing our gender pay gap in our Annual Report since 2023, before it was a mandatory requirement for Commonwealth Organisations to report to WGEA.

Public sector results published by WGEA in March 2026 captures data from the 2024 calendar year (referred to as the 2024-2025 public sector reporting period).

CSIRO’s gender pay gap has improved by 1.7 percentage points (average total remuneration) compared to the previous year. The Professional, Scientific and Technical Services industry gender pay gap is 16.4 per cent¹ and Commonwealth agencies of similar size, but not necessarily the same industry, is 4.8 per cent¹. 

Like most organisations, CSIRO’s gender pay gap is influenced by how women and men are represented across roles and pay levels, including leadership. A range of internal and external factors contribute to these patterns, and we remain committed to further understanding these differences and addressing them through meaningful action.

What are we doing to achieve gender equity?

Achieving and maintaining equity requires sustained action over time. Through CSIRO’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Strategy, our Gender Equity Action Plan and organisational culture actions we continue to address systemic factors to foster respect and inclusivity, reset gender norms and create equity for all.

Some of the progress we have made and actions we plan to focus on include:

• Continued focus on increasing women and diversity in research and leadership appointments through inclusive recruitment initiatives.
• Progress toward silver accreditation through the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Athena Swan program.
• Updates to our Enterprise Agreement focusing on flexible work, increases toward more equitable parental leave and uncapped domestic family violence and abuse leave.
• Continuing to promote flexible work and encouraging equal gender uptake to cultivate a more balanced approach to caregiving.
• Continued identification of equity barriers to leadership and internal advancement. Our talent and succession planning process proactively considers our female talent pipeline and takes action to ensure balanced representation.
• Investing in female talent by supporting equitable access to internal leadership development programs with women making up 50.9 per cent of attendees in the 2025 cohorts.
• Strengthening the STEM pipeline by actively engaging women participating in STEM education.  

We acknowledge there are multiple dimensions to gender. For more information on how WGEA defines gender for data collection and calculates gender pay gaps please visit: WGEA Work Place Profile and WGEA What is the Gender Pay Gap