EOWA's Role
Ministerial Responsibility
Director of EOWA
How does EOWA Administer the Act?
Assistance EOWA Provides
Compliance Advisory Team


EOWA's Role
The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) has been established to administer the Commonwealth Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 ('the Act').

EOWA's role is to put in place actions to 1) administer the Act and 2) educate and assist organisations to achieve equal opportunity for women. EOWA's role and functions are outlined in the Act. 

(This Act replaced the Affirmative Action Equal Employment Opportunity for Women Act 1986 and renamed the Affirmative Action Agency as the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency).

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Ministerial Responsibility
EOWA is a statutory authority and a portfolio agency of the Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). 

EOWA's Annual Report is tabled in Parliament in November each year.

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EOWA's Director
The Acting Director of EOWA, Mairi Steele reports to the Minister for Status of Women the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP.

• Director's profile and photograph

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How does EOWA Administer the Act?
EOWA receives annual reports from approximately 3000 organisations covered by The Act on the progress of their workplace programs.

EOWA client consultants assess these reports and work with employers to ensure compliance with the legislation and provide help and assistance in developing their workplace program to achieve greater outcomes for women and for business.

Using this information, EOWA identifies:

• Organisations that comply with the legislation;
• Organisations that do not comply with the legislation;
• Organisations that have been waived from reporting.

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Assistance Provided by EOWA
EOWA's primary role is to:

• Advise employers of their obligations under the Act; and
• Provide information and advice to reporting organisations and members of the broader community to achieve equal opportunity for women in the workplace.

EOWA educates and assists by:

• Providing a sample report form and guidelines to assist employers including;
  • Compliance Guidelines;
  • Workplace Analysis Toolkit; and
  • Employment Matter Guidelines
    
• Providing tools to assist organisations:
  • Analyse their workplace; and
  • Develop an effective workplace program;
    
• Providing feedback on employers' workplace programs;
• Providing a sample waiving application and waiving guidelines;
• Conducting educational workshops during the year;
• Participating in events such as conferences and seminars;
• Initiating discussions and partnerships with business to progress equal opportunity for women in the workplace;
• Producing an annual publication Leading-Edge Initiatives, an online Newsletter EOWA News Alert and a range of other publications; and
• Providing information and referrals regarding other anti-discrimination legislation;

EOWA aims to provide the highest level of service to our clients, as set out in our Service Charter.

More information is available in EOWA's Annual Report.

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Client Services Team
EOWA's Client Services Team:

• Provides employers with advice on developing a workplace program; and
• Assistance in complying with the legislation.
  

The Compliance Advisory Team is available Monday to Friday between 9:00am and 5:00pm (Eastern Standard Time) on (02) 9448 8500.

Contact us