Rail industry organisations from across Australia and New Zealand have signed on to a new Rail Gender Equity Charter to commit to fostering inclusive, respectful and equitable workplaces for all.

Australasian Railway Association (ARA) Chief Executive Officer Caroline Wilkie said this industry-first initiative built on the recommendations of the ARA’s 2024 Progressing Gender Equality in the Australasian Rail Industry report.

“The Rail Gender Equity Charter is a significant step towards further developing an inclusive and equitable culture in the rail industry,” Ms Wilkie said.

“The fact that 40 organisations have already signed on at the time of launch demonstrates the industry’s strong commitment to making rail a great place to work for everyone in our industry.

“I look forward to seeing more organisations sign on as the ARA continues its work to advance gender equity in the rail industry.”

The 2024 report found exclusionary behaviours and gender biases continued to impede diversity and inclusion progress in the rail industry.

It recommended an industry-wide code of conduct be established, with a focus on respectful behaviours and eliminating harassment and discrimination.

The Charter recognises gender equity as a foundation for innovative, productive and safe workplaces, and includes the following commitment statements:

• We commit to fair and unbiased recruitment processes, to enable equal opportunity for candidates of all genders to start their career in rail.
• We commit to offering all employees equitable opportunity for career development and leadership.
• We commit to providing policy which supports and enables our gender equity commitments.
• We commit to “walk the talk” of gender diversity and inclusion, with executive leadership support and engagement in diversity initiatives.
• We commit to fostering a culture of inclusivity in the workplace, backing up our commitment with behaviours which make our employees feel valued and able to present their authentic selves.

The ARA’s 2024 Gender Diversity Data Report found 28 per cent of the rail workforce were women, rising from 24 per cent in 2022. Only 26 per cent of CEOs were women.

The report found 80 per cent of organisations had formal policies to support gender equality in place.

The Charter will provide recommendations on measures to make and track progress against each of the five commitment statement to support improved inclusion and equity within their organisations.

The ARA will track progress with signatories and share case studies on best practice with the wider industry.

The Charter was launched at an event in Sydney today, and can be found here.

ENDS