Founded and Chaired by The Hon. Julia Gillard AC – the only woman to have served as Prime Minister of Australia – and led by renowned gender equality expert and co-author of the 'glass cliff' theory, Professor Michelle Ryan, The Global Institute for Women's Leadership is a multi-disciplinary research institute that brings together world-leading expertise on workplace gender equality and leadership.
Our story
GIWL (pronounced ‘jewel’) was founded by former Prime Minister Julia Gillard with a simple mission – to bring together research, practice and advocacy into a powerful force for change towards gender equality.
Based at the Australian National University, GIWL ANU was established in 2020 as the first international base of The Global Institute for Women's Leadership as a sister institute to GIWL King's College London, with a particular focus on advancing equality in Australia and the Asia Pacific. We leverage some of the world’s leading expertise on the Asia-Pacific, supported by deep, wide networks of researchers and practitioners across this diverse and highly dynamic region.
Why do we need GIWL?
Progress towards gender equality isn’t just slow – in some places it’s reversing.
Everyone has the right to live free from discrimination, to be educated, to earn a fair and equal wage, and to have opportunities to lead. Today this belief is almost universally held, yet gender equality has not been achieved in any nation, and the World Economic Forum estimates that it will take 165 years to achieve parity in our region.
Women and gender diverse people continue to face discrimination, the gender pay gap persists, and there is not gender-equal access to leadership roles in politics, business, media, the law, technology, the finance industry, and many other fields.
Achieving gender equality is a human rights imperative, which also creates practical benefits felt by all – healthier and safer communities, economic success, and stronger democracies. The need for change is clear. But the slow progress towards equity shows that the solutions are far from obvious. We must bridge the stubborn gap between current activity in the diversity and inclusion world, and what the evidence shows us is truly effective.
To find these answers, we need research; if we don’t understand the problem, how can we create solutions? Only research can fully equip us as a society to challenge accepted norms, re-orientate views, enrich dialogue, spark debate, and support decisions that make a lasting difference and drive meaningful change.
Our mission
Our mission is to use the evidence to address the systemic causes of gender inequality to create safe, fair and equitable cultures where all people thrive.
We want to see a world with more gender diversity in leadership positions, with fewer women and gender diverse Australians living in poverty, where everyone can have access to economic security going into their retirement. We want to put an end to gender-driven workplace stress and burnout.
We want tangible improvements in wellbeing and economic outcomes for women and gender diverse Australians. We want to see a world where diversity and inclusion departments in organisations are implementing strategies that are actually effective and are making a tangible difference, rather than just ticking a box. Instead of trying to sweep sexual harassment under the carpet, we want organisations to deal with it openly.
We want to change society’s notions of what leadership looks like, what equality looks like, what success in the workplace looks like – and who can access it. There’s no one size fits all – it’s the breadth, connectedness, diversity and scale that is key.
Our purpose
Our purpose is to see effective, evidence-based solutions applied where they will have the most impact to advance gender equality, by connecting those with the expertise on what works with those in a position to make change.
Our research agenda is driven by our determination to see effective, evidence -based solutions applied where they will create the greatest public good.
This ranges from the opportunity for major systemic and structural change at the policy level down to interventions with positive impact at a grassroots level. We aspire to tackle complex problems from multiple dimensions for maximum impact.
Our values
- We are intersectional in all that we do. That means we understand that we can only address gender inequality by working simultaneously to eradicate other systems of oppression, like colonialism, homophobia, racism and transphobia.
- We recognise the importance of First Nations voices in decision-making, and remain committed to uplifting, amplifying and supporting First Nations voices through our partnership with the Wiyi Yani U Thangani Institute for First Nations Justice.
- We take an evidence-based approach. Our world-leading research is grounded in lived experience, expertise, and best practice case studies on what actually works to advance equality.
- We bring regional expertise with a global outlook. Based at the Australian National University in Canberra, we are home to an international network of gender equality advocates. We combine this ground-breaking expertise from around the world with our deep, local knowledge of Australia and the Asia Pacific to increase the pace of change on gender equality in our region and beyond.
What we do
When it comes to gender equality, we take a three-pronged approach at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership...
Support us to make a real difference to gender equality in our region
We rely on donor support to help us unite a global community of experts and advocates and increase the pace of change on gender equality in our region and beyond. Your generous support helps to accelerate our research and outreach activity to address the root causes of gender inequality and create safe, fair and equitable cultures where all people thrive.
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