A word from CEO Christine Castley October 2026

In conversations with employers, researchers and leaders across Australia over recent weeks, I have been struck by a common theme. We are spending less time debating whether workplace gender equality matters, and more time having honest conversations about what needs to change and what actually works. 

This is an important shift. Because while we have made progress, we know it has not been fast enough or consistent enough. And we have more than enough evidence to know that simply waiting or hoping for things to improve is not going to get us there.

This week in Perth, we launched the latest BCEC-WGEA Gender Equity Insights report. Its message is clear: Australia has made gains, but we are still losing too much talent along the way. More than a decade of evidence points to a clear challenge: if we want to unlock Australia's full workforce potential, we need to focus on the "missing middle". It is simply not enough to get women into the workforce or through the first steps of management. We need to look at what happens in the middle of careers, where opportunities narrow, progression stalls and talented people fall out of the career pipeline. This means taking a harder look at how jobs are designed, how people are promoted and what we reward in our workplaces. And this is not just about gender equality. It is about making better use of Australia’s talent, lifting business performance and building a more productive economy. 

What has encouraged me in recent weeks is the appetite for practical conversations about how we do this.

In Perth, I joined roundtables hosted by CEOs for Gender Equity and Dr Ashley McGrath, bringing together leaders from mining, resources, infrastructure, education, government, community organisations and the arts. These were not conversations about easy fixes. We talked about career progression, flexibility, job design and the role workforce data can play in informing better decisions and identifying where talent is being lost. Different workplaces have different challenges, but there is real value in leaders being willing to share what works and what does not, and what they are learning along the way.

Other research released this month adds important dimensions to this conversation. The 2026 CEW Senior Executive Census shows that while women's representation in senior executive roles continues to improve, progress towards gender-balanced leadership is slowing and women remain underrepresented in the most senior positions. I was pleased to join the launch panel discussion this week, where we explored why we need to look beyond the leadership pipeline to examine the workplace structures, expectations and career pathways that influence who progresses and who does not.

The University of Sydney Good Flex; Bad Flex report which WGEA was pleased to be involved in, challenges us to think more carefully about flexibility. Good flex gives workers genuine choice, security and opportunities for career progression. Bad flex might suit the business, but leave workers carrying the cost. And when flexibility comes at the expense of career progression, we should not be surprised when people leave. 

The Towards Indigenous Pay Parity report by the Centre for Indigenous People and Work at the University of Technology released earlier this month adds another important perspective. It challenges employers to apply a broader lens to disadvantages and employer actions to address them. It found Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women face some of the widest gaps in Australia between the workplace flexibility they need and what they are actually provided 

What connects these findings is a growing body of evidence that workplace outcomes are not inevitable. They are shaped by choices about job design, flexibility, career pathways and leadership expectations. The opportunity for employers is to use this evidence to identify barriers, test new approaches and embed practices that support both workforce participation and progression.

This is why WGEA data matters. It helps employers see where the gaps are, ask better questions and focus their efforts where they can make the greatest difference.

And it is also why these conversations matter. Data tells us where to look. The experience of employers and workers helps us understand what is happening and what needs to change.

Progress accelerates when practical experience is shared, ideas are tested and evidence is translated into action. If you are testing new approaches, overcoming barriers or seeing positive results, I encourage you to share those insights with us. Together, we can build a stronger evidence base and accelerate change.