Gender Pay Gap Employer Statement
Our Commitment to Gender Equality
At Charles Sturt University we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workforce where every staff member feels valued and empowered. We strive to create a workplace culture that upholds dignity and respect, encouraging the sharing of ideas and perspectives that celebrate our differences. Our goal is for all staff to feel safe, supported, and able to thrive at work.
We recognise that gender equity is a complex area, and we are committed to improving our systems and removing barriers to address gender pay equity, eliminate workplace discrimination, and educate and empower our workforce to create positive change. Our Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Plan 2023-2025, developed in consultation with stakeholders from all levels of the organisation, includes a range of actions designed to foster a positive, respectful, and inclusive workplace, ensuring that gender equity remains central to our inclusive culture at Charles Sturt.
We are proud to hold the Athena Swan Bronze Award, the only internationally recognised framework for gender equity, diversity, and inclusion, and we are working towards Silver accreditation through the Cygnet program. Additionally, we are updating and redesigning various programs and initiatives to support our female staff and those from other key diversity areas, including accessibility and neurodiversity, carers, diverse faiths and cultures, First Nations, and LGBTIQA+.
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Our Context
Charles Sturt University is the largest regionally based university in Australia, enrolling approximately 40,000 on-campus and online students from across Australia and more than 72 countries worldwide. We have campuses in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Goulburn, Orange, Sydney, Port Macquarie, and Canberra, and deliver programs internationally in collaboration with leading partner institutions. As a significant employer in our regions, we provide interesting and rewarding employment opportunities, contributing to the prosperity and vibrancy of our rural and regional communities, with a reach and impact across Australia and the world.
Our goal for our staff is to support, empower, and inspire each other to deliver excellence by creating opportunities for our people to excel, developing capability, recognising achievements, and building a healthy, equitable, and inclusive university culture.
31 March 2024 Snapshot Data
- Total staff (fixed term and continuing): 2,345
- 67% Female, 33% Male
- 3.2% First Nations
- 3.4% have a disability
- 12% speak a language other than English at home
Table 1: Charles Sturt Workforce Composition by Role
Role | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
Key management personnel* | 33% | 67% |
Managers | 63% | 37% |
Non-managers | 67% | 33% |
*Key management personnel consist of the Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, Provost and Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, and Chief Operating Officer.
The Gender Pay Gap at Charles Sturt University
The gender pay gap at Charles Sturt has improved over the past twelve months. This positive change has been influenced by an increase in women appointed as managers and the inclusion of CEO (Vice Chancellor of University) data in the WGEA calculations, which WGEA estimates would impact an organisation’s GPG by 0.5%.
Our Gender pay gap compared from 2023 - 2024
All employees | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|
Average total remuneration | 11% | 10.1% |
Median total remuneration | 12.8% | 9.5% |
Average base salary | 10.3% | 9.0% |
Median base salary | 13.1% | 10.0% |
Table 2: the gender pay gap at Charles Sturt University on the snapshot date of 31 March 2024 compared with snapshot date 31 March 2023.
We have implemented a range of initiatives focusing on intersectionality and diversity, which have positively impacted our gender pay gap. These include refining recruitment practices, streamlining support measures for academic promotion of staff from key diversity groups (including women), implementing employee networks and Champions of Inclusion for Gender Equity, promoting flexible work options, and introducing women-specific leave (menstruation and menopause leave). These efforts demonstrate Charles Sturt University’s commitment to gender equality and creating a workplace that values the career progression and development of all staff.
Like other regional institutions, Charles Sturt University faces "different conditions and challenges" (THE, 2024) compared to metropolitan universities, which contribute to our gender pay gap.
Figure 1: Percentage of women and men staff members by WGEA pay quartiles
At Charles Sturt women are the majority across all pay quartiles however, the high percentage of women at the lower quartiles, often including those working in part-time and casual roles, contributes to our gender pay gap. This distribution has remained relatively the same as the previous reporting period, with the biggest change occurring in the upper middle quartile, which was 64% women and 36% men in 2022-23.
Actions and Strategies
Charles Sturt remains committed to furthering gender equity and reviewing the intersection of gender with other key diversity groups.
Throughout 2025, we will continue to address this by:
- Maintaining a focus on gender equity through appointing two senior leaders as Gender Equity Champions to advocate for the concerns and needs of employees from diverse backgrounds and identities.
- Continuing to promote and support the Gender Equity Employee Network, connecting individuals with shared identities and experiences to raise important issues and influence university priorities.
- Analysing staff engagement scores from a gender and diversity perspective.
- Increasing focus and accountability with gender equity reporting now going to senior leadership.
- Reviewing senior leader remuneration from a gender perspective.
- Implementing improvements to the academic promotion process based on a thorough review in 2024, including gender and equity considerations.
- Continuing achievements through the SAGE Athena Swan accreditation pathway.
- Celebrating International Women’s Day by providing tips and guidance for all staff to embed gender equity in their day-to-day roles.
- Implementing initiatives to identify and reduce barriers for women and non-binary staff.
Notes about the gender pay gap calculation
- The data is from the snapshot date of 31st March 2024 and includes headcount and remuneration data of all Charles Sturt employees on this date only.
- The data includes fixed term, part-time and casual staff with all wages annualised to full-time equivalent.