Australia’s first common benchmark for gender equity in technology has found that most participating employers have many of the core practices in place to help women enter, stay and progress in technical roles. These include flexible work, parental leave, defined salary ranges and executive-level diversity strategies.

The inaugural T-EDI Standards Impact Report finds that further practical steps would help retain experienced workers, such as redesigning roles so they can be done part-time, setting specific gender balance targets and sharing pay ranges with candidates.

Project F launched the T-EDI Standards with the Tech Council of Australia in 2024 to give employers a common benchmark to assess and track their own practices. The Standards suit any organisation with people in technical roles, including businesses, universities and government agencies.

The report draws on previous Tech Council research showing women make up 49 per cent of Australia’s ​​workforce but only 20 per cent of its highly technical workforce, and that women leave these roles at nearly twice the rate of men after age 40.

In the 18 months since the Standards launched, half of participating organisations have made progress against their action plans. Changes like this usually take years as they require changes to pay transparency, leadership accountability and work design.

The report also finds that adopting the Standards delivers a positive return from year one. Keeping experienced technical staff helps organisations retain knowledge, reduce recruitment and training costs, and avoid productivity losses while roles are vacant.

Tech Council of Australia CEO Kate Cornick said the report illustrates why more organisations should adopt the Standards.

“Australia has a goal to reach 1.2 million tech workers by 2030. Attracting and keeping experienced women in technical roles is essential to getting there. The T-EDI Standards give employers a practical way to see what is working and where the gaps are, and the Tech Council encourages more organisations to adopt them.”

Project F Founder Emma Jones said the report should encourage more organisations to sign up to the Standards.

“We thank the organisations that have signed up to the T-EDI Standards. Together they employ more than 900,000 Australians. The sector has worked hard to bring women into tech, and this report shows how employers can help experienced women stay and progress once they are there.”

Jane Adams, Commonwealth Bank Executive General Manager, HR for Technology & AI, said the T-EDI assessment gave CommBank a useful external view on its gender equity work in technology. CommBank is a founding partner of the T-EDI Standards.

“The T-EDI assessment gave us an external perspective on work that is complex and multifaceted. We have been focused on gender equity in technology for some time, and the assessment let us step back and look at our efforts through a different lens. It has given leaders a common reference point and greater clarity on where we are making progress and where our collective attention can have the greatest impact.”

Patrick Kidd, CEO of Future Skills Organisation, said the T-EDI Standards give employers a practical framework to support Australia’s technology skills base.

“In a fast-moving technology sector, employers need clear guidance on good practice. The T-EDI Standards create a common language, set out what works and give organisations a practical way to improve workplace practice over time.”

The Tech Council also runs Next Wave: Women in Tech, funded by the Australian Government’s Building Women’s Careers initiative. Next Wave profiles women working across the industry and highlights the approaches members are taking to build more inclusive workplaces.

The report is available to download at www.tedistandards.com/impact-report-2026.

Technology organisations are encouraged to use it as a benchmark for their own practices and consider adopting the T-EDI Standards to help build a stronger, more equitable technology workforce. To find out more and apply to participate at www.tedistandards.com.

ENDS

Media enquiries:

Amy Solomon

0403 339 038

media@techcouncil.com.au 

About the Tech Council of Australia

The Tech Council of Australia (TCA) is the peak body for the nation’s tech sector. We represent a diverse ecosystem of innovators, from early-stage founders and scale-ups, to global platforms and deep tech firms, all working to shape Australia’s digital future.

As the industry’s coordinated voice, we bridge the gap between tech expertise and government policy. Our work is focused on driving smart regulation, building a world-class workforce, and ensuring Australia stays competitive on the global stage. With more than 170 member companies employing hundreds of thousands of Australians, we exist to ensure our country thrives through technology. Our mission is to unite the tech ecosystem to drive jobs, growth, and investment for all Australians.

About Project F

Project F is a certified social enterprise established to address the persistent gender equity gap in technology. It works with organisations of all sizes, from startups to global enterprises, to support practical and sustainable change at every stage. Project F’s frameworks are designed with deep sector expertise and recognise the connection between gender equity, workplace culture, performance and commercial outcomes in technology.

About the T-EDI Standards

The T-EDI Standards are 98 evidence-based standards across 10 categories, developed to help Australian technology workplaces identify and address structural gaps that contribute to the underrepresentation of women in tech. Launched in November 2024 by Project F in partnership with the Tech Council of Australia, the Standards give organisations a practical way to benchmark current practice, identify priority actions and track progress over time.