WA announces permanent inclusion of gender equality clause in procurement processes

The Western Australia government has announced the permanent inclusion of the gender equality clause in public sector procurement processes starting July.

This means all eligible suppliers for State agency contracts will be required to disclose their compliance with Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) reporting obligations, according to the state government.

Finance and Women's Interests Minister Sue Ellery said the permanent inclusion of the clause signals the state government's commitment to supporting women.

"This initiative demonstrates our continued commitment to driving cultural change to support greater workplace choices for women," Ellery said in a statement.

Successful pilot run with gender equality clause

The permanent inclusion of the clause comes after a pilot run that began in July 2022, where 15 stage agencies participated.

Since the pilot was launched, the government said participating public sector agencies have awarded more than 365 contracts worth more than $870 million to 600 suppliers.

The pilot also revealed that over 90% of relevant suppliers that were awarded contracts were compliant with their WGEA reporting obligations.

Smaller suppliers that received contracts under the pilot programme also reported higher-than-expected workplace gender equality actions and policies, according to the state government.

"We are all responsible for creating the cultural change that can facilitate women's participation, achieves positive results, and contributes to strengthening our economic outcomes," Ellery said.