Build the leadership capability to embed gender equality where it matters
The WGEA Gender Equality Accelerator equips HR practitioners and managers to lead, implement and sustain gender equality practices. Participants learn how to shift from gender equality commitment to consistent, organisation wide action.
For employers recognised as Workplace Gender Equality Citation holders, the Accelerator provides:
practical tools and evidence-based frameworks
small group size to maximise collaboration
delivered by gender equality experts
no additional cost for citation holders
👉 Register for the Accelerator
Places are limited for the 2026 program cycle
A targeted capability program for Citation holders
All accelerator content aligns with the evidence-informed criteria for the Workplace Gender Equality Citation. That means the actions discussed and shared have been proven to work in real-world settings.
Many organisations have laid foundations for gender equality and are now working to further strengthen their ability to:
translate insight into everyday leadership decisions
align HR systems with manager practice
sustain progress over time
maintain readiness for ongoing citation recognition.
The Gender Equality Accelerator is designed to close this gap by building shared capability between HR and managers and supporting real, applied change across the organisation.
The in-person and online learning modules brings HR practitioners and managers together to build shared leadership capability, apply evidence-based tools to real organisational challenges, and embed gender equality into everyday decisions, systems and practices - so progress is sustained over time.
Each participating employer nominates two people to attend:
One HR practitioner
Designs workplace systems, policies and employee experiences
One manager
Responsible for delivering those policies and experiences in practice
Together, participants act as internal change agents, strengthening gender equality capability across the organisation.
What attendees gain
This program is about building capability that lasts beyond the workshops. The Gender Equality Accelerator will help you with:
practical tools to apply gender equality insight to real leadership decisions
stronger alignment between HR practitioners and managers
confidence to lead change, not just design policy
capability to embed and sustain gender equality practices across systems and teams
peer insight from other citation holders.
What your organisation gains
Employers that empower employees to attend the accelerator benefit from:
stronger internal capability to implement and sustain gender equality actions
improved consistency between people strategy and management practice
accelerated progress on priority gender equality outcomes
reduced reliance on external consultants
strengthened readiness to achieve and maintain Workplace Gender Equality Citation recognition.
Accelerator overview
The Gender Equality Accelerator is a practical, evidence-informed learning journey designed to help organisations turn gender equality insight into sustained organisational action.
The program builds gender attuned leadership capability and strengthens the ability of HR practitioners and managers to work together as internal change agents. Participants develop a shared understanding of how gender equality is designed, delivered and sustained across workplace systems, leadership decisions and everyday practices.
Through a combination of in-person workshops and online tutorials, participants apply leading gender equality frameworks to real organisational challenges. The program uses a capability cascade model, equipping participants not only to implement change themselves, but to build capability in others and embed gender equality practices across their organisation.
Designed for employers recognised with the Workplace Gender Equality Citation, the Gender Equality Accelerator directly supports implementation of leading practices and strengthens readiness to achieve and maintain citation recognition.
By the end of the program, participants leave with practical tools, increased confidence and a clear pathway to drive coordinated, organisation wide progress on workplace gender equality.
Accelerator structure
The Gender Equality Accelerator is delivered as a structured learning journey, combining:
in-person workshops
online tutorials
practical application to your organisation’s real challenges.
Attendance at all components is required.
1. Tools for leading on workplace gender equality
In-person workshop | 1 day
Build gender attuned leadership capability and explore leading practices that promote gender equal experiences and outcomes.
📍 Sydney (WGEA) & Melbourne (location TBC)
2. Moments that matter tutorials
5 online tutorials | 1.5 hours each
Apply gender-attuned leadership to key moments across the employee lifecycle, including:
recruitment and selection
talent planning
work design (part-time and job share)
transitions
performance evaluation.
💻Delivered weekly via Microsoft Teams following Workshop 1.
3. Amplifying the lead on gender equality
In-person workshop | 1 day
Focus on embedding gender-attuned leadership into organisational strategy and systems, including prevention of workplace sexual harassment and readiness for ongoing citation recognition.
📍 Sydney (WGEA) & Melbourne (location TBC)
Where is WGEA? Find us on the map below.
Accelerator timing
2026 Dates
Offering 1 (Sydney): 3 June – 22 July
Experienced as Workshop 1 (in person, all day) on 3 June, Tutorials (online) weekly 11.30 - 1pm from Wednesday 10 June & Workshop 2 (in person, all day) on 22 July
Offering 2 (Sydney): 29 July – 23 September
Experienced as Workshop 1 (in person, all day) on 29 July, tutorials (online) weekly 11.30 - 1pm from Wednesday 12 August & Workshop 2 (in person, all day) on 23 September
Offering 3 (Melbourne): 5 August – 7 October.
Experienced as Workshop 1 (in person, all day) on 5 August, Tutorials (online) weekly 11.30 - 1pm from Tuesday 18 August & Workshop 2 (in person, all day) on 7 OctoberOffering 4 (Sydney): 14 October – 2 December.
Experienced as Workshop 1 (in person, all day) on 14 October, Tutorials (online) weekly 11.30 - 1pm from 21 October & Workshop 2 (in person, all day) on 2 DecemberOffering 5 (Melbourne): 21 October - 9 December.
Experienced as Workshop 1 (in person, all day) on 21 October, Tutorials (online) weekly 11.30 - 1pm from Tuesday 27 October & Workshop 2 (in person, all day) on 9 December
Eligibility and pre-requisites
Before attending the Accelerator, at least one participant from each organisation must have completed all 3 sessions of WGEA’s Foundational Masterclass Series.
You may register for the Accelerator before completing the prerequisites.
Cost
Participation is included as part of the Workplace Gender Equality Citation. There are no additional costs for citation-holders.
Ready to accelerate your organisation's progress?
Places are limited for each program cycle.
Gender Equality Accelerator FAQs
Registration
Q: What do the Accelerator dates mean in terms of participation?
A: Each program includes 2 x 1-day, in-person workshops and 5 online Moments that Matter tutorials. When you sign up for the program, you are registering for all 7 sessions and will be required to attend each of them. Session days and times are consistent (unless indicated), and are held in order of Workshop 1, five Moments that Matter tutorials and Workshop 2.
Q: To secure a spot, can I register now and confirm the line manager participant later?
A: Yes. You can register now and update the registration form up to a week before the Accelerator commences.
Q: What is the cost of participating in the Gender Equality Accelerator?
A: If your organisation is currently a recognised holder of the Workplace Gender Equality Citation, and has paid the program fee (the first annual instalment), this forms part of that fee.
Q: Can I bring another colleague to a Moments that Matter tutorial?
A: The program is designed for the nominated participants to build and apply capability across all sessions. If a participant is unable to attend a tutorial, a proxy may attend in their place. Proxies should be briefed in advance, as sessions build on prior learning and foundational concepts are not revisited. Additional participants will need to be briefed appropriately and confirmed with WGEA.
Q: Who should I consider as our manager participant?
A: We encourage you to select a manager who can play a key role in guiding transformation across the organisation. This means they should:
be interested in expanding their leadership capability
be willing to share their deepened knowledge and capability and influence change across their organisation
be able to attend both workshops in person and most or all of the moments that matter tutorials
have access (or be given access) to the organisation’s most recent gender pay gap analysis findings.
WGEA has a set of guiding questions to support your decision-making. Don’t hesitate to reach out via wgecitation@wgea.gov.au if you’d like further support.
Pre-requisites
Q: Can I register before completing the prerequisites (WGEA’s Foundational Masterclass series)?
A: Yes. As places in the Gender Equality Accelerator are limited, you are encouraged to secure your spot early. You can then attend any of the Foundational Masterclass sessions you have not yet completed before the program commences.
Q: Do both participants have to complete the prerequisites (WGEA’s Foundational Masterclass series)?
A: No. Only one participant is required to complete the prerequisites. We encourage this to be the HR practitioner, who can then brief the manager participant ahead of the Accelerator commencing.
Q: How do I register for the pre-requisites (WGEA’s Foundational Masterclass series)?
A: Please visit WGEA's Masterclasses and Learning Events. If you have any issues registering, don’t hesitate to contact wgecitation@wgea.gov.au and you will be prioritised.
Participation expectations
Q: Do I need to bring anything to the workshops and online tutorials?
A: To support interactive learning and implementation focused collaboration, each organisation will need to bring several materials to the workshops and online tutorials. These are outlined in the Participant Guide, which is provided upon registration.
Q: What is expected of participants after the Accelerator?
A: Achieving a gender equal workplace requires every part of the organisation to work together. The Gender Equality Accelerator is a catalyst for this, developing leadership capability and tools to accelerate progress. Participants will use program outcomes to develop others and strengthen organisational systems so leading gender equality practices can be embedded and scaled.
Q: What support is available after the Accelerator?
A: WGEA will continue to support participants beyond the Accelerator to sustain progress and strengthen embedding. Participants will be invited to join the Gender Equality Accelerator Program Community of Practice, providing opportunities to continue learning, share experience and build capability alongside other organisations. WGEA’s Citation team also remains available to provide guidance as organisations progress toward ongoing recognition.
Q: Do participants need to attend all scheduled sessions?
A: Yes. The Gender Equality Accelerator is delivered as an integrated learning journey, with each component building on the last. Full participation is expected to support effective application, capability development and organisational embedding. Where attendance is not possible, participants should contact WGEA to discuss options.
Q: Is there an option to attend online?
A: The Accelerator is intentionally designed as a combination of in-person workshops and online tutorials. This approach enables both deep, interactive learning and ongoing application to real organisational challenges. Participation in both formats is required to maximise learning and impact.
Cancellations
Q: What should we do if we can no longer make a session?
A: Please send an email to wgecitation@wgea.gov.au as soon as possible, to confirm
Contact and support
Questions?
Contact the Workplace Gender Equality Citation team at:
📧wgecitation@wgea.gov.au
More information about the Workplace Gender Equality Citation
A list of the current WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation holders.