Launch of the Gender Equality Evidence Hub

Businesses, governments and community organisations are searching for practical ways to close gender gaps. But it can be hard to know what steps to take. Strategies that sound like good ideas aren’t always backed up research and evaluations.

The Gender Equality Evidence Hub is a new initiative that builds a bridge between academic research and the change-agents who can put this knowledge into action.

The Hub gathers the research on “what works” to close gender gaps (and what doesn’t) and translates these insights into practical actions. By harnessing the strength of evidence-based approaches, the Hub empowers business leaders, policymakers, industry practitioners, teachers, students, and community advocates with sharper tools to make progress on gender equality.

The Hub’s resources are freely available online, communicated without technical jargon, and linked to high quality research, data and evidence.

Join us for the launch event where you’ll hear from the creator of the Gender Equality Evidence Hub, Dr Leonora Risse, and special guests the Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh MP (Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, and Member for Fenner), Mary Wooldridge (CEO of the Australian Workplace Gender Equality Agency), Dr Niki Vincent (Victorian Commissioner for Gender Equality in the Public Sector), Siri Chilazi (Gender Equality Researcher from Harvard University and co-author of “Make Work Fair”), Professor Matt Duckham (RMIT Enabling Impact Platform Director), and host Stacey Ong (Women’s Leadership Institute Australia Fellow and Executive Director of One Red Step).

This research translation initiative is supported and funded by philanthropic and educational organisations – the Trawalla Foundation, the Women’s Leadership Institute Australia, and RMIT University’s Enabling Impact Platforms – who share a common goal to advance gender equality through the greater sharing of knowledge, insights and practice.

About the Guest Speakers

Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh is the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury in the Australian Government, and the Federal Member of Parliament for Fenner in the ACT. Andrew established the Australian Centre for Evaluation (ACE) in the Australian Treasury to improve the volume, quality and use of evaluations in policymaking, and put evidence of “what works” at the heart of policy design and decision-making. Prior to being elected to Parliament, Andrew was a Professor of Economics at the Australian National University. He holds a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University and graduated from the University of Sydney with first-class honours in Arts and Law. Andrew is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Science and a past recipient of the Economic Society of Australia’s Young Economist Award.

A common thread throughout Andrew’s research and policy work is a focus on social disadvantage and economic inequality. A prolific author, many of his publications explore economic and social policy issues and evidence-based solutions. His books includes Batters and Billionaires: The Story of Inequality in Australia (2013), Randomistas: How Radical Researchers Changed Our World (2018), Innovation + Equality: How to Create a Future That Is More Star Trek than Terminator (with Joshua Gans) (2019), Reconnected: A Community Builder’s Handbook (with Nick Terrell) (2020), Fair Game: Lessons From Sport for a Fairer Society and a Stronger Economy (2022) and The Shortest History of Economics (2024). Andrew is a keen Ironman triathlete and marathon runner, and hosts a podcast called The Good Life about living a happier, healthier and more ethical life.

Dr Leonora Risse is an economist who specialises in gender equality. She is an Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Canberra, an Adjunct Professor with the Centre for Decent Work and Industry at Queensland University of Technology, and a Research Fellow with the Women’s Leadership Institute Australia. She serves as an Expert Panel Member for the Fair Work Commission and the Parliamentary Budget Office and as a Steering Committee Member for Jobs and Skills Australia’s Gender Economic Equality Study. She formerly held roles with the Productivity Commission and the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard University. Leonora is a co-founder and former National Chair of the Women in Economics Network in Australia. Leonora engages regularly with governments and organisations on evidence-based strategies for gender equality and how to apply a gender lens to policy design through gender responsive budgeting. She created the Gender Equality Evidence Hub as a way for academic research on gender equality to reach the policymakers, businesses and community leaders who can put this knowledge into action.

In 2021 Leonora was named one of Apolitical’s 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy, and in 2025 was made an Honorary Fellow of the Economics Society of Australia for her contributions to the Women in Economics Network and the Economics Society. Leonora holds a PhD in Economics, Bachelor of Economics with Honours and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland.

Mary Wooldridge is the CEO of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). WGEA is a Commonwealth government agency responsible for promoting and improving gender equality, including equal remuneration between women and men, in employment and in the workplace. As CEO, Mary leads the Agency in driving gender equality and ensuring that women and men are equally represented, valued and rewarded in Australian workplaces. Previously, Mary served in the Victorian Parliament, including as Minister for Mental Health, Community Services and Women’s Affairs. As Minister, Mary contributed to the implementation of the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children and the establishment of the national family violence prevention agency, Our Watch. She established the Victorian Commission for Children and Young People, the nation’s first Aboriginal Commissioner, the Mental Health Complaints Commissioner, the Family Drug Treatment Court, and Parkville College (an award-winning public school for students in Youth Justice Centres).

Prior to being elected to Parliament, Mary was the CEO of the not-for-profit Foundation for Young Australians and worked with McKinsey & Company and Consolidated Press Holdings. She also serves as a Director of Global Citizen (Australia) and Carey Baptist Grammar School. Mary holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Harvard Business School.

Dr Niki Vincent is the Commissioner for Gender Equality in the Public Sector in Victoria, a role created under Australia’s first Gender Equality Act. Leading the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector (CGEPS), Niki is responsible for promoting gender equality and driving system change within the Victorian public sector workforce and across the broader Victorian community. She is passionate about gender equality, inclusive leadership, evidence-informed policy, and using data to drive social impact. Niki also holds an Adjunct Associate Professorship with the University of South Australia and serves in numerous board and advisory roles, including with the Centre for Workplace Excellence at the University of South Australia and the Jobs and Skills Australia's Gender Economic Equality Study.

Previously, Niki served as South Australia’s Commissioner for Equal Opportunity, CEO of the Leaders Institute of South Australia, and as a Member of the Remuneration Tribunal of SA. She previously received the Telstra Business Woman of the Year SA finalist award and an Australian Leadership Award. Holding a PhD in Psychology and specialising in adult development and leadership, Niki is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School leadership program and a nationally accredited mediator. She is the mother of 4 adult children and 3 young adult foster and stepchildren.

Siri Chilazi is a Senior Researcher with the Women and Public Policy Program in the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. An internationally recognised expert in advancing women and promoting gender equity in organisations, Siri is the co-author of the newly published book, “Make Work Fair: Data-Driven Design for Real Results”, co-authored with Professor Iris Bohnet. As an academic researcher, Siri specialises in identifying practical approaches to close gender gaps at work by de-biasing structures and designing fairer processes. As an advisor and speaker, she collaborates with organisations including start-ups, large multinational companies, top professional services firms, governments, non-profits, and academic institutions to advance gender equity through evidence-based insights.

Siri regularly contributes her insights on gender equality to leading media outlets, including the BBC, Fast Company, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and the New York Times. She has spoken on the topic of gender equality at hundreds of large events, including the American College of Surgeons annual meeting, the Women’s Forum Global Meeting, and the DEI Innovation Summit. Siri holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School, a Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, and a BA in Chemistry and Physics from Harvard College. In addition to her academic career, she is an award-winning fitness instructor, presenter and educator.

Professor Matt Duckham is a Professor in Geospatial Sciences and the Director of the ‘Information in Society’ Enabling Impact Platform at RMIT University. The Enabling Impact Platforms at RMIT are an innovative way to bring together researchers and industry experts to respond to large-scale, complex issues in society. The platforms act as knowledge brokers, facilitating the collaborative exchange of knowledge and enabling research translation. Focus is placed on fostering innovation, developing partnerships and generating societal impact.

In his own research, Matt is an author of the widely-used textbook GIS: A Computing Perspective and a founding editor of the Journal of Spatial Information Science. His research into spatial algorithms, geovisualisation and geospatial AI has strong practical and industry applications in the areas of emergency response, defence, transportation and environmental monitoring. Previously, Matt worked at the University of Melbourne as a Professor in GIScience and Australian Research Council Future Fellow, and at the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis at the University of Maine. Matt holds a PhD in  GIScience from the University of Glasgow, a Masters in GIScience from the University of Leicester and a BSc Hons from the University of Edinburgh, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

Matt serves as the Co-Chair of RMIT’s Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Group on Addressing Gender-Based Violence, which provides oversight on preventing and responding to gender-based violence, sexual harassment, harm and assault, through governance, awareness raising, learning and targeted innovations. A key component of this work involves piloting and implementing innovations to build the evidence on what works.

Stacey Ong is the Executive Director and Founder of One Red Step, a social equity consulting practice servicing government and for-purpose clients. Specialising in social policy and social innovation, One Red Step focuses on systemic discrimination and exclusion in social systems, in areas such as housing, early childhood education and care, gender budgeting, and violence against women. One Red Step works with clients to address issues such as gender inequality, family violence, homelessness, disability, disadvantage and marginalisation. Stacey is a member of the Community Advisory Group for the Melbourne Social Equity Institute and a Fellow with the Women's Leadership Institute of Australia, and serves on the Boards of Melbourne City Mission and Women’s Health Victoria.

Prior to founding One Red Step, Stacey was a Director in management consulting with PricewaterhouseCoopers, focusing on social policy and was their national staff lead on cultural diversity and inclusion. An economist by training, Stacey holds a Bachelor of Arts and Commerce from the University of Melbourne and a Graduate Diploma of International Affairs from the Australian National University, and is a Graduate of the Company Directors Course with the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Link to the Gender Equality Evidence Hub: www.genderequality.com.au

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