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Vice Chancellor's Gender Equality Fund

The Vice-Chancellor’s Gender Equality Fund offers Academic and Professional staff the opportunity to apply for support in facilitating gender equality initiatives and promoting workplace inclusion at Western Sydney University. Primarily, the Fund seeks to:

  • develop a deeper understanding of any obstacles, and the steps required, to tackle gender inequality within the University and its community;
  • foster collaboration and knowledge exchange between stakeholders within the University and its community in collective efforts to promote gender equality; and
  • advance practice-based outcomes within the University by creating a praxis between academe and professional perspectives to leverage ‘real-world’ improvements.

This funding is for projects that would not normally be funded by Schools and Divisions.

Any enquiries regarding the Fund can be emailed to gefund@westernsydney.edu.au.

2021 Applications Now Open

Full details about the Fund, including Award categories, eligibility criteria and timelines can are included in the Vice-Chancellor’s Gender Equality Fund Guidelines. To apply for funding please download and complete an Expression of Interest form and return to gefund@westernsydney.edu.au.

2020 successful applications

Applications for the 2019 Gender Equality Fund closed 29 November 2019.  Projects as listed below are currently in progress.

  • A Reconciliation of Parenting & Styling: The Role of HE Policies in Supporting Student Parents
  • Respect at Western - an awareness raising campaign to address the gendered drivers of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the university context.
  • An exploration of WSU Professional Staff’s understanding of trans and gender diversity: Supporting best practice and policy
  • BREAST – Breastfeeding and Returning to campus Education and Support Technologies
  • Moving Western to “Employer of Choice for Parents:” Developing new campus-based childcare options.

2019 final projects

  • Redressing the Promotion Gap: Practices and programs to minimise gender disparities in academic advancement to Level E - Assoc Professor Kate Huppatz, Assoc Professor Nida Denson, Dr Peter Bansel and Cris Townley
  • Nurturing Leadership from the Bottom Up: Supporting Leadership and Career Aspirations of Sessional Staff - Professor Tonia Gray, Assoc Professor Jane Mears, Ashwini Kanitkar and Joelle Breault-Hood
  • Mountains, Molehills and Milestones: participant experiences of WSU Mentoring Programs - Dr Michelle Cull, Dr Kristy Coxon and Dr Manisha Dayal
  • Women Doing Well - Helen Barcham, Office of Vice-Chancellor and President
  • Returning to Work after Parental Leave - Collaborative project by the Engaged Parents Network
  • Western Dads - Dr Sarah Duffy, Dr Aila Khan, Dr Patrick Van Esch and Assoc Professor Meg Smith
  • Negotiating Mothering and Academic Work: A Mixed Methods Intersectional Feminist Study - Dr Emilee Gilbert
  • Why Western Women are Choosing STEM...or not - Professor Kathryn Holmes, School of Education

2018 final projects

  • Listening to and Incorporating the Voices of Women at WSU: Building a welcoming, supportive, and sustainable workplace for traditionally marginalised groups, focusing on casual staff - Assoc. Professor Jane Mears, School of Social Sciences
  • Exploring ways to elevate women's leadership voices in Higher Education to achieve career longevity and gender parity - Assoc. Professor Tonia Gray, School of Education
  • Academic Career Progression: What Matters? – Assoc. Professor Maria Estela Varua, School of Business
  • Gender Unlimited Seminar Series - Professor Janice Aldrich-Wright and Dr Kieryn McKay, Office of the DVC (Academic)
  • Strategies and Barriers to Best Practice: A review of executive leadership succession planning in the Higher Education Sector and implications for Gender Equality at WSU - Dr Sheree Gregory, School of Business

2017 project final reports

2017 was the inaugural year for applications under the Gender Equality Fund. Below you can view the final reports from successful applicants. Findings within these reports are reviewed by the Vice-Chancellor's Gender Equality Committee, and recommendations are reviewed and acted upon as appropriate.

For more information about Gender Equality Initiatives at Western Sydney University visit our Gender Equality webpage.

For more information about the Vice-Chancellor's Gender Equality Fund contact Michelle Falconer, Senior Manager, Office of Equity & Diversity.