Vice Chancellor's Gender Equity Fund
Applications are now closed for 2025
The Fund provides funding to projects which progress whole-of-institutions strategic objectives, addressing priority issues affecting students and staff, and help the whole University to achieve greater gender equity, inclusion and diversity. The funding is available to student clubs, SRC representatives and staff.
Applications are invited under the following funding categories include:
a. Strategic projects
b. Whole of University education, awareness raising and/or engagement
c. Applied research projects focused on systemic solutions and improvements
This funding is for projects that would not normally be funded by Schools, Institutes or Divisions.
Applications must be completed in the word document
Any enquiries regarding the Fund can be emailed to gefund@westernsydney.edu.au.
Final Reports
The Vice-Chancellor's Gender Equity Fund was launched in 2017. The final reports for all Fund projects are available below. Project findings and recommendations are reviewed by the Vice-Chancellor's Gender Equity and Respectful Relationships Advisory Committee, which determines the suitability and prioritisation of actions, in keeping with the Committee's Terms of Reference. The Committee also oversees the ongoing implementation of recommendations, as appropriate.
- 2024 Final Projects - 2024 Reports are under final review
- 2023 Final Projects
- 2022 Final Projects
- 2021 Final Projects
- 2020 Final Projects
- 2019 Final Projects
- 2018 Final Projects
- 2017 Final Projects
2024 Final Projects
- Surviving Violence, Surviving University - Dr Ashlee Gore, Leisha Du Preez and Shima Shahbazi
- Endo@Western: Co-Designed Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain Guidance for WSU Staff - Dr Michelle O'Shea, Danielle Howe, Sarah Duffy and Associate Professor Mike Armour
- Developing a Research and Audit- Informed Framework to Support Working Carers: a Focus on University Workplaces - Dr Michelle O'Shea and Leila Frijat
- Unfolding Narratives: A Co- Designed Video-Based Multidisciplinary Educational Resource for Trans and Gender Diverse People's - Dr Diana Jefferies, Associate Professor Liz Thyer, Associate Professor Karen Mattock, Dr Paul Glew, Dr Cris Townley, Ms Caroline Lunt and Associate Professor Brahmaputra Marjadi
- Supporting Student Parents at WSU - Associate Professor Chloe Taylor, Professor Kate Huppatz, Dr. Kieryn McKay, Dr. Michelle O’Shea, Dr. Amie Matthews, Dr. Sharlotte Tusasiirwe, Dr. Navin Naidoo, Dr. Roland Gamsjaeger and Jenni Haines
2023 Final Projects
- Building Safer Communities: Recognise, Respond and Refer - Emma Taylor, Steve Lee and Ingrid Dernee
- Identification and prioritisation of perimenopausal support needs of Western staff - Brahm Marjadi, Nicole Peel, Sowbhagya Micheal, Alison Short, Suzie Horne, and Andrew Kellett
- Exploring Health Sciences students perspectives on issues surrounding gender, identity and violence - Dr Caroline Mills, Associate Professor Liz Thyer, Stephen Zissermann, Dr Nicole Peel and Dr Kylie Barr
- Casual Staff Inclusion: Improving workplace engagement, wellbeing and the prevention of discrimination and sexual harassment - Dr Jacqueline Willis and Dr Erika Smith
- Development and Evaluation of a combined Executive and Peer mentoring Intervention to support Career Development for women at Western – the EPIC pilot program - A/Prof Kate McBride, A/Prof Freya MacMillan, A/Prof Emma George, A/Prof Genevieve Steiner-Lim, A/Prof Chloe Taylor, Dr Diana Karamacoska, Miss Najwa-Joelle Metri and Miss Stacie Powell
2022 Final Projects
- Muslim women’s experiences of tertiary education at Western Sydney University: A student perspective - Dr Rakime Elmir, Dr Maria Bhatti, Dr Aila Khan, Maryam Hashim and Feda Abdo.
- Uplifting Parents: How WSU can meaningfully support staff and student parents to work and study - Dr Sarah Duffy, Dr Michelle O'Shea, Associate Professor Emilee Gilbert and Dr Alina Eward
- Voice of Western through data unlinkability: Setting the agenda for better equity and inclusion of Western staff and students with diverse genders, sexualities, and sex characteristics - Anna Denejkina, David Lim, George Turner, Anita King, Eman Shatnawi, Rannie Singh, Brahmaputra Marjadi
2021 Final Projects
- Addressing Intersectionality in Gender ‘Equity’ at WSU: Experiences, policies, and everyday practice - Prof Kerry Robinson, Dr Emily Wolfinger, Assoc Prof Lucy Nicholas, Assoc Prof Corrinne Sullivan
- Equity, policy and practice: disruptions to candidature and barriers to career progression for women HDR candidates - Professor Caroline Smith, Dr Cris Townley, Assoc Professor Kate Huppatz and Dr Peter Bansel
- Precarity, pandemic and gender: how did casual academic women experience teaching at the time of COVID-19? - Dr Erika K. Smith
- Western Parents & Carers: Constructing a culture that celebrates care - Dr Michelle O’Shea, Dr Sarah Duffy, Dr Jennifer Cheng and Dr Dorothea Bowyer
- EPIC-Collaboration: Executive and Peer Intervention for Career Development – Piloting a combined peer and executive mentor support program for level A, B and C women (5 Year longitudinal study) - Assoc. Prof Freya MacMillan, Dr Kate McBride, Assoc. Prof Emma George, Assoc. Prof Genevieve Steiner, Dr Chloe Taylor, Dr Diana Karamacoska, Najwa-Joelle Metri, Leone Cripps
- Leaving no parent behind: International student and newly arrived academic staff parents negotiating migration, parenthood, study, and work in Australia - Dr Sharlotte Tusasiirwe
2020 Final Projects
- A Reconciliation of Parenting & Styling: The Role of HE Policies in Supporting Student Parents -Dr Dorothea Bowyer, Dr Milissa Deitz, Dr Tinashe Dune, Ms Hollie Hammond, Dr Anne Jamison, Ms Anita Eseosa Ogbeide, Dr Chloe Taylor, Ms Jaime Vassallo
- An exploration of WSU Professional Staff’s understanding of trans and gender diversity: Supporting best practice and policy - Assoc. Prof. Lucy Nicholas, Prof. Kerry Robinson & Cris Townley
- BREAST – Breastfeeding and Returning to campus Education and Support Technologies - Dr Nicole Bridges and Vanessa Campbell
- Moving Western to “Employer of Choice for Parents:” Developing new campus-based childcare options - Dorothea Bowyer (School of Business); Kate McBride (School of Medicine); Carolyn Ee (NICM); Freya MacMillan (School of Science and Health); Sandra Marjanovic (Translational Health Research Institute); Elaine Burns (School of Nursing and Midwifery).
- Respect at Western - an awareness raising campaign to address the gendered drivers of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the university context - Stephen Zissermann and Nathalia Alcantara
2019 Final Projects
- Redressing the Promotion Gap: Practices and programs to minimise gender disparities in academic advancement to Level E ( PDF, 435.26 KB) (opens in a new window) - 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 (PDF, 545.26 KB) (opens in a new window) - Professor Tonia Gray, Assoc Professor Jane Mears, Ashwini Kanitkar and Joelle Breault-Hood
- Mountains, Molehills and Milestones: participant experiences of WSU Mentoring Programs (PDF, 549.26 KB) (opens in a new window) - Dr Michelle Cull, Dr Kristy Coxon and Dr Manisha Dayal
- Women Doing Well (PDF, 121.81 KB) (opens in a new window) - Helen Barcham, Office of Vice-Chancellor and President
- Returning to Work after Parental Leave (PDF, 355.38 KB) (opens in a new window) - Collaborative project by the Engaged Parents Network
- Western Dads (PDF, 968.61 KB) (opens in a new window) - 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 (PDF, 1156.17 KB) (opens in a new window) - Dr Emilee Gilbert
- Why Western Women are Choosing STEM...or not (PDF, 164.99 KB) (opens in a new window) - 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 (PDF, 7598.29 KB) (opens in a new window) - Assoc. Professor Tonia Gray, School of Education
- Gender Unlimited Seminar Series (PDF, 13068.38 KB) (opens in a new window) - 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 (PDF, 344.11 KB) (opens in a new window) - Dr Sheree Gregory, School of Business
2017 Final Projects
- Breastfeeding Friendly Communities at WSU (PDF, 1046.72 KB) (opens in a new window) - Dr Elaine Burns and Zoi Triandafilidis
- Exploring Barriers and Facilitators to seeking Promotion: Level C and above Academics and Level B to Level C Academics ( PDF, 276.41 KB) (opens in a new window) - Dr Lyn Francis
- Review and Improvement of Academic Induction & Orientation Packs (STEMM focus) (PDF, 328.01 KB) (opens in a new window) - Professor Janice Aldrich-Wright and Dr Kieryn McKay
- Improving Access to Information on Parental Leave Entitlements (PDF, 415.02 KB) (opens in a new window) - Professor Janice Aldrich-Wright, Dr Kieryn McKay, Dr Kate McBride and Dr Freya Macmillan
- Illuminating and understanding women’s and men’s experiences navigating family care responsibilities and their academic careers (PDF, 788.71 KB) (opens in a new window) - Assoc. Prof Meg Smith, Dr Michelle O'Shea and Dr Aila Khan.
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, Director, Equity, Diversity and Wellbeing.
