INSIGHTS

Our Research

We’re committed to building evidence as to what works. While much of the research in this space tends to focus on the problem, our focus and commitment has always been to contribute evidence based solutions that prevent inequality and drive equality. Here is an overview of our most recent research.

Lasting change only occurs when we work at both the individual and the systemic level. Our programs and resources empower individuals, while our research empowers systematic change.

Our research, like all that we do, is underpinned by our Theory of Change. A Theory of Change doesn’t rely on disparate programs or interventions. It defines the impact an organisation wants to make in the short, medium and long term. Here is an overview of our most recent research.

Macquarie University Research Partnership

“The Grace Papers’ program proves that when we support employers to value care and entrench flexibility, we can create a culture where careers and families thrive.”

Gabrielle Williams

Minister for Women, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Victoria

In May, 2020, we released the results of an 18-month research evaluation project conducted in partnership with Victorian Office for Women and Macquarie University that validated the impact of the Grace Papers platform on employees balancing caring responsibilities.

The research, “Dismantling The Parental Wall”, came as a result of a pilot program funded by the Victorian State Government and sought to assess against 16 indicators, the attitudes and behaviours of the 350 participants across the Victorian Public Service, entering parental leave.

Participants in the pilot program who accessed the Grace Papers Program and Leadership System as a key means of support, were found to have measurably improved workforce participation, career advancement and economic security, as well as better management of workplace flexibility.

While the findings were wide ranging, of the 350 participants in Grace Papers Project, Macquarie Researchers found:

  • 70% of participants gained a better understanding of how to initiate, control and manage their career transitions.

  • 78% of participants felt more confident to approach their manager about career related issues including parental leave and flexible work arrangements.

  • Participants identifying as LGBTIQ+ or culturally diverse experienced higher gains from the Grace Papers platform.

  • Attitudes measured revealed an urgent need for workplaces to mandate line manager literacy to address the impact ambition bias has on the careers of those who take parental leave and access flexibility.

  • The Grace Papers platform supported an increasingly positive perception of gender equality policies and workplace culture in the Victorian Public Sector – both for women and men.

  • Further promotion and encouragement of the interventions, and improved and/or equal access to paid parental policy entitlements are required to increase the take-up of parental leave entitlements and flexible work arrangements by fathers

“Our Government is working to build a fairer Victoria that values the paid and unpaid contributions of working parents by supporting gender equality interventions to affect real change. Grace Papers’ program proves that when we support employers to value care and entrench flexibility, we can create a culture where careers and families thrive.”

Gabrielle Williams

Minister for Women, Minister for Prevention of Family Violence and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Victoria

The Macquarie University Research Partnership can support your organisation to comply with The Gender Equality Act (Vic). 

Book a call to find out how.

“Confidence is by far the biggest and most positive increase among any of the measures tracked – what we’re seeing is that pre-program, employees were only moderately confident in areas such as approaching their manager for support and planning their parental leave journey whereas post-program, there’s a substantial increase in confidence.”

Raymond Trau

Lead researcher at Macquarie University

Pride in Diversity Partnership

In 2020 Grace Papers partnered with Pride in Diversity on a piece of research titled An Inclusive Approach to Parenting. The objective of this research was to answer the question: What are the intersectional impacts of care, career and sexual orientation in workplaces?

Specifically, the research intended to answer:

  • Are workplace parental leave policies inclusive of all family structures?
  • How can workplace practices be improved to better support rainbow families?
  • What barriers get in the way of an inclusive parenting experience for same gender couples?
  • How does bias and discrimination impact rainbow families in the workplace?

 

The findings, which revealed an ‘everyday bias’ towards LGBTQ+ parents have informed our guide to practical actions workplaces can take towards inclusion of all family structures and all forms of parenting, regardless of gender or gender identity.

The below research report discusses these findings as well as recommendations for how workplaces can foster a more equitable and inclusive landscape for LGBTQ+ employees and their families.

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