This page contains important changes to be aware of when lodging your Gender Equality Report.
Program name change
The next Gender Equality Reporting Program will be called the 2026 Gender Equality Reporting.
This name change reflects the year the lodgement is made.
Both private sector employers and Commonwealth public sector employers will report in the same program.
Changes for Commonwealth public sector employers
Lodgement period
From 2026 onwards, relevant Commonwealth public sector employers must lodge their reports between 1 April – 31 May, the lodgement period.
This changed lodgement period reflects the merging of the public and private sector Gender Equality Programs.
Changes to APSC data transfer
Employers of staff under the Public Service Act that previously used the APSC data transfer will no longer be able to use the APSC to transfer relevant data to WGEA.
Commonwealth public sector employers will report all their data directly to WGEA in the same way the private sector does. The process is outlined in reporting steps.
New Targets legislation
From 2026, employers who directly employ 500 or more employees in Australia are known as designated relevant employers (DREs). Under the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (the Act), DREs must:
select 3 gender equality targets
meet or demonstrate improvement against each target at the end of the 3-year target cycle.
For more information on the Gender Equality Targets requirements, refer to: