CEW Advocacy & Research
CEW engages directly with government and business to advocate for evidence-based policies which support women leaders, for the benefit of everyone in Australia. We contribute to policy formulation and partner with employers to attract, promote and retain talented women leaders. Our membership of over 1,200 prominent women leaders are sought after for insights on how to improve the representation of women in all facets of leadership in Australia.
CEW makes informed contributions to the national debate on gender balance. One of CEW’s most important achievements has been to cut through the myths surrounding women in leadership with hard data. See below for our latest Advocacy, Research and Submissions.
CEW Advocacy and Research
The CEW Leadership Summit, hosted on Wednesday 6 September 2023, brought together leaders from every sectorin Australia for wide-ranging, daring discussions on what it will take to shift the dial on gender equality.
There was a resounding acknowledgment that incremental change is not enough, and an absolute commitment to fast-track equality over the next decade. The CEW 2023 Summit paper explores the insights, actions, and results shared by thought leaders at the Summit.
The CEW Senior Executive Census is collected annually in partnership with Bain & Company, from data available on company websites and in annual reports.
Data on the executive leadership teams for the companies in the CEW Senior Executive Census was collected in July 2023 from company websites, including Annual Reports and media releases.
This methodology has been in place since the CEW Senior Executive Census began in 2017.
The Unlocking Leadership: Conversations on Gender and Race in Corporate Australia report explores the experiences of culturally and racially diverse women in senior leadership roles in Australia’s ASX300 companies and indicates that conversations about race remain largely taboo in corporate Australia.
The report, which is based on 27 interviews conducted by Intersection, outlines five actions for leaders and businesses to unlock the potential of culturally diverse women leaders.
The CEW Senior Executive Census is collected annually in partnership with Bain & Company, from data available on company websites and in annual reports.
Data on the executive leadership teams for the companies in the CEW Senior Executive Census was collected in July 2022 from company websites, including Annual Reports and media releases.
This methodology has been in place since the CEW Senior Executive Census began in 2017.
In 2021, Australia was shocked and disappointed by stories of sexual harassment in workplaces around the country.
Respect is Everyone’s Business is a digital hub with tools and resources to help leaders take action at decision-making tables and in our workplaces.
While many organisations have made positive progress in responding to and preventing sexual harassment, it was clear that it remains a widespread and persistent issue.
Respect is Everyone’s Business equips leaders with the facts, scripts and resources they need to start a conversation and ensure this issue remains firmly on the agenda.
CEW, Bain & Company: Take It from the Top: Accelerating Women’s Representation in Executive Leadership is a deep dive into how Australia’s leading organisations foster gender balance on their executive teams, released in July 2022. Organisations that commit to genderbalance targets are almost 3 times more likely to achieve gender-balanced leadership teams. Nearly 60% of ASX300 companies have committed to gender-balance targets. Bain & Company and Chief Executive Women (CEW) interviewed 22 Australian companies that are outperforming the ASX300 average for their gender-balanced leadership teams.
5 accelerators that increase women’s representation in executive leadership are:
1. Committed and accountable Executives
2. Commitments must translate into actions
3. Targeted talent management unlocks equal opportunities.
4. Succession plans must be deliberate and long term.
5. Recruiting must be equitable.
CEW delivers a leading research, policy and advocacy agenda which is evidence-based, grounded in member engagement, and is aligned with our vision for women and men to have equal economic and social choices and responsibilities. CEW’s four policy pillars are:
1. Advancing women’s leadership
2. Enabling women’s workforce participation,
3. Strengthening women’s economic security including into retirement
4. Workplace flexibility for women and men.
These four critical issues are the foundation of our policy
strategy which aims to achieve gender equality and maximise Australia’s talent pool in pursuit of a thriving economy.
CEW advocates for change in key priority areas to achieve our vision of a society where women and men have equal economic and social choice and responsibilities. We are presenting the case for change by reviewing the current status of women in Australia in leadership, economic security, workforce participation and workplace flexibility. CEW is working to remove the barriers to women’s progression and ensure equal opportunity for prosperity.
This report is written by Chief Executive Women (CEW) in conjunction with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), to highlight key actions to advance talented women in leadership roles in STEM sectors, accordingly to women who are leading the way. Although there are systemic barriers for women’s progression to leadership, reinforced as women in STEM are repeatedly saying “all men get the cool jobs” yet the women are missing out.
Ultimately, CEW reiterates how women must play a powerful role in developing STEM industries in the Australian economy.
CEW Policy Submissions
CEW Submission to the Review of the Workplace Gender Equality Procurement Principles.
CEW Submission to the Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework
LATEST ADVOCACY
Media release: CEW Welcomes Productivity Commission Report and calls for Universal Early Childhood Education and Care
2023 CEW Census - gender equality is coming but not soon enough
CEW welcomes significant Federal Budget
CEW welcomes the passing of the Closing the Gender Pay Gap Bill
New program launching to address barriers for women in leadership
New data shows that progress on closing the workplace gender pay gap has stalled.
CEW Leadership Summit - Breakthrough Whitepaper
