ECU recognised among Australia’s leaders in closing the gender pay gap

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ECU recognised among Australia’s leaders in closing the gender pay gap

Tuesday, 18 August 2026

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Edith Cowan University (ECU) is being recognised as one of Australia’s leading institutions for gender equity, with new data released on Equal Pay Day showing SAGE Athena Swan Silver Award holders have achieved some of the lowest gender pay gaps in the tertiary education and research sector.

Equal Pay Day, marked on 17 August this year, highlights the additional time women in Australia must work, on average, to earn what men earned during the previous financial year. The date is calculated annually by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) using Australian Bureau of Statistics average weekly earnings data.

New figures released by SAGE (Science in Australia Gender Equity) reveal organisations holding the prestigious Athena Swan Silver Award have an average median total remuneration gender pay gap of just 4 per cent.

This compares favourably with:

6.4 per cent across all SAGE members
10.3 per cent across non-member organisations in the tertiary education and research sectors
11.3 per cent across the Australian economy

Earlier in the year, ECU was noted as ranking 10^th amongst Australia universities and the leading Western Australian university with 4.1 per cent.

ECU is one of only a handful of Australian universities to have achieved the Athena Swan Silver Award, reflecting a sustained, evidence-based commitment to advancing gender equity and inclusion across the institution.

ECU's Athena Swan journey has focused on identifying and addressing systemic barriers to career progression, leadership opportunities, flexible work, and workplace culture. The University's Silver Award recognises measurable outcomes and sustained progress in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion.

SAGE's latest findings reinforce the value of accreditation frameworks that support organisations to examine policies, practices and workplace culture and take action to improve equity outcomes.

ECU is one of only five universities in Australia to hold Silver Status and the only Western Australian University. The other four universities are: the University of Sydney, RMIT University, Monash University and the University of Newcastle.

About Equal Pay Day

Equal Pay Day is an initiative of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). It marks the point in the year when Australian women have effectively worked the extra time required to earn what men earned on average in the previous financial year.

About Athena Swan

Athena Swan is a globally recognised accreditation framework that supports higher education and research institutions to advance gender equity through evidence-based action and cultural change. The Silver Award recognises significant and sustained progress towards gender equity outcomes.

About ECU