Victoria Police is today launching a new 10-year strategy to achieve sustainable gender equality in the organisation by 2030.
Equal, Safe and Strong: Victoria Police Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2030 sets out a framework for organisational change which will embed gender equality in our practice and culture, while achieving a safe and respectful workforce for everyone.
Sustainable gender equality within Victoria Police is essential to strengthening the required capability of the workforce to support and protect victims, hold offenders to account and call for community change and action to end gender-based crime.
Informed by expert advice from the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) and the Public Sector Gender Equality Commissioner, Equal Safe and Strong also aligns with the recently introduced Gender Equality Act 2020.
The strategy provides the foundations for regular action plans that will hold Victoria Police accountable to gender equality outcomes throughout the 10 years.
The first Gender Equality Action Plan (2021-2024), together with a monitoring and evaluation framework to track our progress, will be released in September 2021.
An Interim Action Plan will be launched within the strategy today, which will assign the outcomes to align the 2021-2024 action plan to the legislated requirements for organisations to report on, plan and progress gender equality under the new Act.
The new 10-year strategy builds on the previous Gender Equality Strategy 2017-2020, which established the foundations for Victoria Police to develop a more respectful organisation that provides equal opportunities to all employees.
Equal, Safe and Strong: Victoria Police Equality Strategy 2020-2030 is available at: police.vic.gov.au/gender-equality
As noted by Gender Equality and Inclusion Command Assistant Commissioner Brett Curran
"We are very proud to be able to serve such a diverse community in Victoria, and our goal is to reflect that in our organisation by creating a more modern and inclusive workforce.
"By implementing this strategy, Victoria Police has the responsibility to reflect, influence and support change. We must continue to challenge inequality and strengthen our culture for the long term.
"Every Victoria Police employee has a part to play in challenging strict adherences to gendered stereotypes and strengthening our culture in the process.
"We have learnt a lot over the last several years from our work with VEOHRC and we continue to use these learnings to drive our approach to achieving equality."
