Key Facts:
Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre report
With an ongoing gender pay gap of 21.8% according to the latest WGEA figures. For every $1 on average a man makes, women earn 78c. Over the course of a year, that difference adds up to $28,425.
The 2025 Gender Equity Awards have recognised a powerful line up of organisations and individuals who are turning good intentions about gender equity into measurable change in Australian workplaces.
This year's top organisational honours went to:
- Best Enterprise Organisation 1500 plus employees AECOM Australia
- Best Large Organisation 500 to 1499 employees Dentons Australia Ltd
- Best Medium Company 100 to 499 employees TelstraSuper
- Best SME Company Coulter Legal
- Best First Nations Business Ilan Style
- Best Intersectional Company Capgemini Australia
Individual leaders were also honoured for their impact in shifting culture and practice:
- Best CEO or Board Member Sarah Hunter
- Best Diversity and Inclusion Manager Jack Meehan
- Best Executive Manager Hayley Crimmins
- Best Manager Devina Chatterji
- Best Employee Zuli Posada
Two national trailblazers, Lisa Annese, CEO of Chief Executive Women, and Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Governor General of Australia, were inducted into the Gender Equity Awards Hall of Fame for their long standing commitment to advancing equality in workplaces and the wider community.
"What these winners have in common is courage and follow through. They have moved beyond statements and morning teas, and are redesigning systems so that gender equity is simply how they do business," said Awards Convenor Lisa Sweeney. "From engineering to law, finance and technology, this year's finalists show that when leaders act with intention and accountability, real change happens for women and men."
Organisations changing systems, not just stories
Enterprise winner AECOM Australia was recognised for treating equity as a core business strategy. Flexible work is available to all employees with a 95 percent agreement rate that people can manage work and life commitments. Additional supports include 20 days paid family and domestic violence leave and the option for all employees to purchase up to six weeks of annual leave. AECOM has reduced its median base and total remuneration gender pay gaps by 5 percent over three years and now has more than 40 percent women in its ANZ leadership team.
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AECOM's Advocate Sponsorship Program has connected more than 70 high potential women with senior leaders, while mCircles peer led discussion groups support women to build confidence, visibility and connection. The company has also earned 13 consecutive years as a WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality, Work180 Endorsed Employer status and a 2025 Work180 workplace equity award for gender diversity strategy.
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Large organisation winner Dentons Australia Ltd was celebrated for its whole of firm Gender360 strategy, which has reduced the median gender pay gap from 15 percent to 0 percent by 2025. Women now make up 31 percent of equity partners, up from 12 percent, and 43 percent of non equity partners in just two years. Benefits co designed with employees include 26 weeks paid parental leave for all carers, domestic violence recovery leave, wellbeing and volunteer leave. A co created flexibility strategy has delivered an 87 percent improvement in work and life balance scores and a 50 percent emissions reduction since 2019 while headcount increased by 37 percent.
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Medium organisation winner TelstraSuper embeds gender equity into everyday practice, going well beyond compliance. Equal paid parental leave is offered to all parents, regardless of gender or family structure, with superannuation paid for up to two years after return from parental leave at full time equivalent salary to reduce the retirement gap that usually affects women. In the past twelve months 64 percent of parental leave takers were men, the gender pay gap fell 3.6 points to 10.7 percent and 94 percent of staff agreed TelstraSuper values inclusion.
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SME winner Coulter Legal has built a people first culture for nearly a decade and is certified as a Family Friendly Workplace. Its 18 week paid parental leave policy has no primary or secondary carer labels and includes superannuation on paid and unpaid parental leave for up to 12 months. Additional leave supports cover IVF and fertility treatment, pregnancy loss and stillbirth, grandparents, kinship and foster care. Flexible working is genuinely embedded, with part time, compressed weeks and working from home normalised across all levels. Coulter Legal now has a workforce that is 85 percent women, with a 50,50 gender balance at Director level and 60 percent women at leadership level.
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Intersectional leader Capgemini Australia was recognised for its employee led approach to inclusion, with nine Communities in a hub and spoke model and an Intersectional Community at the centre. Co created initiatives such as the Relaunch program, a three month re entry pathway, have achieved 96 percent retention, while targeted learning and inclusive recruitment practices have lifted gender representation by 9 percentage points overall and 15 percentage points in senior leadership. Capgemini holds AWEI LGBTQ inclusion Platinum Employer status for four consecutive years and multiple Employer of the Year awards.
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Celebrating individual changemakers
The individual awards highlight leaders who champion equity day to day, from the boardroom to the front line.
Best CEO or Board Member Sarah Hunter was recognised for leading with accountability and transparency on gender equity.
Best Diversity and Inclusion Manager Jack Meehan was honoured for building structures that make inclusion part of how the organisation operates, rather than a separate project.
Best Executive Manager Hayley Crimmins, Best Manager Devina Chatterji and Best Employee Zuli Posada were celebrated for lifting others as they lead, modelling inclusive behaviours and ensuring policies translate into lived experience for their teams.
"The stories behind these awards are powerful. We have seen leaders remove labels from parental leave, redesign recruitment, sponsor women into senior roles and tackle domestic violence as a workplace issue. That is what real progress looks like," Ms Sweeney said.
Honouring national leaders
The Hall of Fame recognised Lisa Annese, CEO of Chief Executive Women, and Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Governor General of Australia, for their long term contributions to gender equality. Both honourees have played pivotal roles in shifting the national conversation about care, work and leadership, and in holding institutions to account for closing gender gaps.
About the Gender Equity Awards
The Gender Equity Awards, presented by Business in Heels, celebrate organisations and individuals across Australia who are delivering practical, measurable progress on gender equity. Now in its fourth year, the program highlights proven initiatives that improve representation, reduce pay gaps and create safe, inclusive workplaces for everyone.
About us:
About Business in Heels International.
The Gender Equity Awards honour individuals, organisations, and initiatives that are leading the charge toward more equitable and inclusive workplaces. Now in our third year, these awards shine a spotlight on best practices, celebrate meaningful progress, and inspire action to drive systemic change. By showcasing trailblazers and their impactful strategies, we aim to encourage others to follow their lead, fostering workplaces where diversity thrives and everyone has the opportunity to succeed.
The company has a vision to create an unlimited future for women. It is known for its work in providing mentoring support across Australia with Mentor Mornings and Leadership Summits to inspire women into senior roles in male-dominated industries and for Recalibrate - Gender Equity Awards for Australia. Today it connects over 200,000.
