Research and Reports
Featured research
Our flagship reports provide critical insights into women's leadership in corporate Australia and guide our advocacy for systemic change.
2026 Pre-Budget Submission
CEW's submission to the Federal Government calling for investment in women's leadership, economic security, addressing violence, and placing care at the centre of the economy.
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Senior Executive Census 2025
Ninth annual census tracking women's representation in Executive Leadership Teams across ASX 300 companies.
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Unlocking Leadership: Gender & Race
Exploring experiences of culturally and racially diverse women in senior leadership roles across ASX 300 companies.
Download reportAnnual Census Reports
CEW Senior Executive Census 2025
September 2025
The Pipeline Problem: Ninth annual census revealing critical insights about women's representation in ASX 300 Executive Leadership Teams.
Download reportCEW Senior Executive Census 2024
September 2024
Eighth annual census revealing gender equality stagnation in ASX 300, with calls for urgent action on CEO pipeline development.
Download reportCEW Senior Executive Census 2023
2023
Seventh annual census showing incremental change failing to solve persistent challenges in women's executive representation.
Download reportCEW Senior Executive Census 2022
2022
Sixth annual census expanding scope to ASX 300 companies and introducing gender diversity target tracking.
Download reportCEW Senior Executive Census 2017–2021
2017–2021
Five years of foundational census data tracking ASX 200 companies, establishing the evidence base for advocacy.
View archivesMajor Research Reports
RISE Project: Insights Report
2026
Culturally and racially marginalised (CARM) women in Australian workplaces are ambitious, capable and resilient. Yet research shows they experience entrenched systemic barriers that prevent them from reaching senior leadership.
Download reportUnlocking Leadership: Conversations on Gender and Race in Corporate Australia
July 2023
Partnership with Macquarie Group exploring experiences of culturally and racially diverse women in senior leadership roles, with recommendations for unlocking diverse leadership potential.
Download reportTake It from the Top: Accelerating Women's Representation in Executive Leadership
July 2022
Partnership with Bain & Company examining how Australia's leading organisations foster gender balance on their executive teams.
Download reportAdvancing Women's Leadership in STEM
March 2022
Partnership with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) highlighting key actions to advance talented women in STEM leadership roles, based on insights from women leading the way.
Download reportThe Merit Trap
Ongoing
CEW and the Champions of Change Coalition working together to identify approaches, put them into practice, and disseminate those that are successful.
Download reportSkills Gaps Analysis
Partnership with Impact Economics and Policy
Illustrating how to address the Australian economy's current and future skills gaps through women's workforce participation.
Download reportFlex for Success: Five Practices That Build a Flexible Workforce
Ongoing
Changes in the workplace that illustrate the value of flexibility and create opportunities for permanent shifts in work practices.
Download reportPolicy Submissions
Activate Her Skills: Harnessing the Economic Potential of Migrant Women Through Better Skills Recognition
2026
Published by SSI and the Australian Multicultural Women's Alliance, this report draws on survey data from 64 migrant women and economic modelling by Deloitte Access Economics to reveal the systemic barriers blocking skilled migrant women from working in their professions.
Download reportCEW Submission to NSW Law Reform Commission
2025
CEW welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the NSW Law Reform Commission's review of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW).
Download submissionCEW Submission: Inquiry into Gender Equality as a National Security and Economic Security Imperative
2026
At the current pace of change, it will take 130 years to achieve global gender parity.
Download submissionCEW Submission to the 4th Universal Periodic Review
2025
CEW urges the Australian Government to enact a national Human Rights Act and deliver concrete, time-bound measures that advance women's equality, safety and economic security, with an explicit intersectional lens.
Download submissionCEW National Gender Equality Strategy Submission
2024
Leveraging women's participation and leadership for economic prosperity and wellbeing.
Download submissionShaping Tomorrow: CEW's Call to Action for Australia's Next Government
2024
Research-based policy agenda calling for action on women's leadership, economic security and workforce participation.
View submissionProductivity Commission Inquiry: Early Childhood Education and Care
2023
CEW's submission to the Productivity Commission's inquiry into ECEC, supporting universal access and improved workforce sustainability.
Download submissionPaid Parental Leave Amendment Bill 2023
2023
Submission supporting the Paid Parental Leave Amendment (More Support for Working Families) Bill 2023.
Download submissionWorkplace Gender Equality Procurement Principles
2023
CEW submission to the review of WGEA procurement principles, advocating for strengthened gender equality requirements in government procurement.
Download submissionAnnual Pre-Budget Submissions
2026 Pre-Budget Submission: Investing in Women's Leadership and Workforce Participation as an Economic Imperative
2026
CEW's submission to the Federal Government calling for investment in women's leadership, economic security, addressing violence, and placing care at the centre of the economy.
Download submission2025 Pre-Budget Submission
2025
CEW's submission to the Federal Government for the 2025 budget, advocating for policies that advance women's economic participation and leadership.
Download submissionPrevious years' submissions to the Federal Government budget process are available in our policy and advocacy archive.
View all submissionsAdvocacy & Resource Packs
Unlocking Leadership: Conversations on Gender and Race in Corporate Australia
2024
Exploring the experiences and voices of culturally and racially diverse women in senior leadership roles in Australia's ASX300 companies.
Download packAdvocacy and Resource Pack 2023
2023
Comprehensive policy and advocacy resource pack including Census data, policy recommendations, and practical actions to accelerate progress toward gender equality by 2033.
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