Preparing to select Gender Equality Targets: What Australia’s Tech Sector Needs to Know Before 2026
Australia’s tech industry continues to grow at pace — employing more than 935,000 Australians and standing as one of the country’s strongest engines of innovation and productivity. With that growth comes heightened expectations around transparency, workplace culture and inclusion.
From early 2026, major reforms to the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 will introduce a requirement to select and meet or demonstrate improvement against Gender Equality Targets for large employers. These changes represent a new step forward in workplace gender equality reporting.
To help the tech sector prepare, the Tech Council of Australia (TCA) will host a special December webinar with the Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s CEO, Mary Wooldridge, and Executive Manager, Insights & Capability, Dr Samone McCurdy. This session will equip tech leaders, HR executives and organisational decision-makers with a clear understanding of what the reforms mean — and how to act early.
Webinar details: Wednesday 10 December, 11.00am – 12.00pm – REGISTER HERE.
Why These Reforms Matter for Tech
Tech remains one of Australia’s most dynamic growth sectors, but it faces persistent workforce challenges:
- Under-representation of women in technical, product and engineering roles (14-20%)
- Talent shortages and international competition for skilled workers
- Increasing investor, customer and community expectations around inclusion
- Heightened focus on workplace safety, employee experience and cultural leadership
The WGE Act reforms raise the bar for transparency and outcomes. For many tech employers — especially those scaling beyond 500 employees — the changes create both a compliance requirement and a strategic opportunity to embed gender equality into workforce planning, leadership capability and organisational culture.
What’s Changing in 2026?
Beginning in 2026, employers with 500 or more employees will face new obligations, including:
1. Requirement to Select Gender Equality Targets
Employers must select 3 Gender Equality Targets. Employers choose their targets from a Menu of 19 targets (9 numeric and 10 action targets). At least one numeric target must be selected.
Targets are aligned to the work employers already do to report to WGEA against the 6 Gender Equality Indicators, such as workforce composition, addressing the gender pay gap, flexible work, and safety.
How this differs from 2025:
In 2025, the information reported to WGEA by large employers in their Gender Equality Report became their baseline for future targets compliance. There was no mandatory requirement to select targets before 2026.
2. Public Reporting on Progress
WGEA will WGEA will include employer-specific progress toward targets each year in the employer’s Executive Summary, increasing visibility and accountability.
How this differs from 2025:
Workplace gender equality data at an employer level is currently published on the Data Explorer. From 2026, WGEA will also publish the 3 targets each employer selects on the Data Explorer.
3. Executive Accountability
The CEO (or equivalent) must formally approve selected targets when they sign off on the Gender Equality Public Report.
How this differs from 2025:
No change from 2025. To maintain the accuracy and reliability of the information collected by WGEA, the CEO (or equivalent) must currently review and sign-off the Public Report. Employers must confirm that their CEO has reviewed and approved the data before they can lodge their Gender Equality Report.
4. Consistent Reporting Information and Workforce Data
Every target is aligned to information employers already report to WGEA, which limits the additional reporting requirement for employers.
How this differs from 2025:
As in 2025, employers report to WGEA using the Questionnaire, Workforce Management Statistics, and Workplace Profile. In 2026, reporting will continue using these documents, linking reported data to measurable progress against selected targets.
5. Demonstrating Action, Not Just Strategies
Employers cannot meet an action target that requires having a policy by only having a strategy in place.
How this differs from 2025:
Currently, employers report whether they have policies and/or strategies in place for gender equality areas. Reporting compliance does not require creating new entitlements or actions. From 2026, employers must show that selected action targets represent new or enhanced policies and processes, and that these have been implemented during the target cycle.
Why Tech Leaders Should Act Now
With competition for talent intensifying, diversity and workplace culture are no longer “nice to have” — they are critical to growth, performance and brand reputation.
Early preparation helps organisations:
- Build strong data systems for 2026 reporting
- Secure leadership buy-in well before compliance deadlines
- Reduce risk and avoid being caught unprepared by public reporting
- Embed gender equality into workforce strategy and employee experience frameworks
- Position themselves as employers of choice in a highly competitive market
Join the TCA Webinar — Your Guide to Navigating WGEA Changes
Date: 10 December 2025
Speakers:
- Mary Wooldridge, CEO of WGEA
- Dr Samone McCurdy, Executive Manager, Insights & Capability, WGEA
This is an essential briefing for any tech employer preparing for the new standards.
Webinar details: Wednesday 10 December, 11.00am – 12.00pm – REGISTER HERE.
