Western Sydney University launches Panel Pledge

Western Sydney University is proud to announce the Western Panel Pledge — a new initiative to promote gender equality by ensuring equal gender balance at conferences and in other public forums. It is a personal commitment that calls on individuals to become a signatory and to actively promote gender equality.

The University is a proud leader in gender equality, having been recognised in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings as number one in the world for gender equality, a WGEA Employer of Choice for 14 consecutive years, and the recipient of a SAGE Athena SWAN Bronze Award. The Western Panel Pledge further extends the University’s commitment to impact gender equality across the higher education sector and the wider community.

Western Sydney University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Barney Glover AO, said: “I am proud to introduce this initiative. I have personally signed the Western Panel Pledge and am committed to ensuring gender diversity is considered at any public forums I speak at in the future. The absence or imbalance of women at any forum, not only limits opportunities for women, but also perpetuates a lack of diversity in our public discourse.”

The Panel Pledge initiative was originally developed through a partnership between the Chief Executive Women, the Women’s Leadership Institute Australia and the Male Champions of Change to provide a practical way to increase the visibility of women and improve gender balance in public forums.

Western Sydney University holds equity and inclusion as one of its core values and will continue to encourage a diverse range of voices from across the University community.

For further information regarding Western’s Panel Pledge, please visit the website (opens in a new window).

ENDS

6 November 2019

Media Unit