Gender Equality Special Issue

Welcome to our special digital edition of Future-Makers which focuses on Gender Equality research undertaken at Western Sydney University. 

A 2022 United Nations progress report shows that based on the latest data on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the world is currently not on track to achieve gender equality (SDG 5) by 2030. Reassuringly, researchers worldwide are continuing to work to rectify this situation. Some of those working hardest are Western Sydney University’s own academics, whose efforts have contributed to the University achieving a global ranking of first in the world for progress on Gender Equality (SDG 5) in the 2023 Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings. Also, for the second year in a row, the University has been placed first overall in these prestigious annual rankings – a first for an Australian university.

Gender equality is not simply the subject of research at Western — it is a philosophy we put into practice. This year, the University appointed its first female Chancellor, Professor Jennifer Westacott AO. This achievement comes alongside the University exceeding the NSW and national averages for the proportion of staff at senior lecturer level or above being women. 

In this special issue of Future-Makers, we focus on research from Western that addresses SDG 5. Here, you will find stories about the delivery of gender and sexuality diverse education, and the empowerment of young women — from recognising and overcoming societal obstacles to addressing issues of sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, and sexual discrimination. 

The stories span from the western Sydney region to Dhaka in Bangladesh and cover a broad range of professions. In them, the impact our researchers have made on women’s lives — at both a local and a global level — is clear. 

We hope you enjoy this issue and encourage you to connect and collaborate with our researchers.