Women in the Australian media industry see policy reforms on gender equity — but feel little change themselves at their places of work.
The Women in Media Industry Insight Report 2025 found most women are unaware of how legislative and policy reforms, such as WGEA pay transparency reporting and Respect@Work, are being implemented or experienced within their workplaces.
This year's report, based on a survey of more than 300, for the first time looks at how women working in the Australian media industry perceive the impact of recent gender equity reforms and international shifts in diversity policy.
Petra Buchanan, strategic advisor at Women in Media and lead author of the report, said this reflects the evolving context in which women are building their careers.
“Policy alone isn’t enough. This year we asked new questions to get a clearer picture of whether the structural levers for reform are resonating with women at work,” Buchanan said.
“The findings suggest that despite important legislative progress, the experience on the ground remains uneven. And with international pushback on DEI gaining visibility, women are watching closely.
"Now is the time for Australian media organisations to double down—not step back—from their equality commitments.”
She said the new lines of inquiry help deepen the annual benchmark of gender equity in the media and send a strong message to industry leaders.
“Employers now have data they can’t ignore. From pay transparency to cultural safety, women are looking for visible, sustained commitment to change,” Buchanan said.
Key findings:
- WGEA Reporting: Transparency, but limited traction. Three-quarters (74%) of women say their employer has not clearly communicated or taken action to address gender pay gaps despite public reporting obligations. Only 26% report seeing tangible steps.
- Respect@Work: Awareness without change. Almost eight in ten (78%) say they’ve seen no change in how harassment, bullying or discrimination are handled in their workplace since the introduction of Respect@Work reforms. Only 20% observed some improvement.
- DEI Backlash in the US: Growing concern in Australia. A significant portion (78%) reported no change or were unsure if global shifts in DEI have influenced their own workplaces. However, 15% said they’ve noticed a positive shift, suggesting early stage impacts.
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