Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) Employer Statement

Published May 2025

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, solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology 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 for the last two years.

Public sector results published by WGEA in May 2025 captures data from the 2023 calendar year.

CSIRO’s 2023 gender pay gap has improved by 2 per centage points (average total remuneration) compared to the previous year. The Professional, Scientific and Technical Services industry gender pay gap is 17.3 per cent¹ and Commonwealth agencies of similar size, but not necessarily the same industry, is 4.8 per cent¹.

Like most organisations nationally, our gender pay gap exists because more men hold higher paying roles, including leadership roles. This is due to numerous factors both internal and external to CSIRO.

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 Athena Swan Science in Australia Gender Equity program (SAGE)
• Our Enterprise Agreement includes flexible work, increases toward universal parental leave and uncapped domestic family violence and abuse leave
• Promoting 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
• Strengthening the STEM pipeline by actively engaging the number of 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 May 2025

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, solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology 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 for the last two years.

Public sector results published by WGEA in May 2025 captures data from the 2023 calendar year.

CSIRO’s 2023 gender pay gap has improved by 2 per centage points (average total remuneration) compared to the previous year. The Professional, Scientific and Technical Services industry gender pay gap is 17.3 per cent¹ and Commonwealth agencies of similar size, but not necessarily the same industry, is 4.8 per cent¹.

Like most organisations nationally, our gender pay gap exists because more men hold higher paying roles, including leadership roles. This is due to numerous factors both internal and external to CSIRO.

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 Athena Swan Science in Australia Gender Equity program (SAGE)
• Our Enterprise Agreement includes flexible work, increases toward universal parental leave and uncapped domestic family violence and abuse leave
• Promoting 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
• Strengthening the STEM pipeline by actively engaging the number of 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