A lot has happened since the report on gender equality in the rail sector we wrote for the Australasian Railway Association was published just over a year ago. For us, it’s a positive sign of two things: one, that comprehensive industry research can drive concerted action, and two, that many leaders in the rail sector are serious about transforming it.
Last month, forty organisations signed up to a Rail Gender Equity Charter – one of the report recommendations – to commit to fostering inclusive, respectful and equitable workplaces. The new Charter has five commitments, including a commitment to ‘walk the talk’ with executive leadership support and engagement, and a range of measures organisations can use to make and track progress against each of the commitments.
The Australasian Railway Association has also established a Champions of Change Rail Group comprising 10 high-profile CEOs and senior executives of rail organisations with 32,000 employees collectively. We wrote in the report that this was important ‘because when people in power call out exclusionary behaviours, it is safer for others to do so.’
We’ve also been leading workshops with men in the sector on how they can be part of conversations and efforts to support diversity and inclusion. This is in response to the recommendations to support men as allies and to promote respectful, inclusive behaviours in workplaces. We’re looking forward to leading more of these conversations, facilitated by Tarang Chawla, in 2026.
These build on many other outstanding initiatives, such as an industry-wide mentoring program for women and a Work in Rail campaign to support pathways into the industry.
We’re energised to see this research translated into action to drive positive change.
“The Australasian Railway Association chose Diversity Partners to lead a significant research engagement on gender diversity in the rail sector. After conducting an industry-wide survey and focus groups, they produced a comprehensive report that will guide our future efforts to position rail as an employer of choice for women in partnership with industry. We really valued the partnership, and our team learnt a lot from the knowledge and expertise of Diversity Partners.”
