It’s an important growth sector with record levels of infrastructure investment planned in the next decade. Approximately 70,000 workers are needed to meet the demand.
It’s no surprise, then, that attracting and retaining a diverse workforce in Australia’s rail sector is a strategic priority.
But how does the sector achieve this? What are the barriers to gender diversity and what are the supportive practices that contribute to more diverse and inclusive workplaces across the sector?
These are the questions addressed in Progressing Gender Equality in the Australasian rail industry, combining inputs from more than 600 people in the sector through a survey, focus groups, interviews and written submissions.
Commissioned by the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) and National Women in Transport, the report was launched in Sydney on 17 July.
Barriers to gender diversity
The representation of women in the rail sector has increased over the past decade – from 17 per cent in 2014 to 28 per cent in 2023. Through focus groups we heard that women who work in the sector value the sense of purpose in helping people travel safely, the variety and breadth of work, and the increasing diversity of the workforce.
But there are several challenges to attracting more women and gender diverse people and ensuring they can play an equal and valued part in the sector. We’ve shared a few quotes from people in the sector to illustrate the challenges.
The challenge blind spot
The first challenge is the view held by some workers in the sector that there are no barriers for women, that diversity efforts are wasteful and that they undermine notions of merit-based employment. As some said in the survey:
‘There is no challenge to achieving (diversity and inclusion) other than having people willing to apply and work in rail. There are no barriers.’
‘Prior to all of this PC nonsense of recent years, there was an inclusive, caring rail family.’
This view diminishes the experiences of many women who participated in this research – through the survey and focus groups – for whom exclusionary language and behaviours are part of their everyday reality.
Perceptions of tokenism
Qualified women face challenges in being perceived as ‘diversity hires’ rather than competent professionals, and that can result in having to prove themselves repeatedly.
‘I feel if I took my name/gender off my CV, my ability & experience wouldn’t be questioned in the same way.’
‘Unconscious bias is a daily constraint. Continuous questioning and proving of technical expertise are tiresome.’
· Traditional associations with men and rail
Both women and men rate the perception of a male-dominated culture in rail as the biggest challenge to achieving greater diversity in the industry. The need to challenge traditional associations of men with rail and showcase the variety of roles on offer to secondary and tertiary students is a significant opportunity.
‘A barrier is) the messages we are giving children at a very young age – pictures of men working in rail, no women, ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’, ‘Bob the Builder’.’
· Exclusionary behaviours and gender role stereotyping
Men have a more positive view and experience of the culture and opportunities in the sector. For example, 77 per cent of men agreed that all genders have the same opportunities to develop skills and experience in the rail industry, while only 35 per cent of women respondents agreed. That’s likely a reflection of women’s experiences of unconscious bias and stereotypes.
What’s the benefit of having a diversity and inclusion strategy?
If your organisation doesn’t have a diversity and inclusion strategy, you might find there’s a lot of ad-hoc activity, employee resource groups may be doing their own thing and competing for resources and funding, and there may be limited accountability for achieving progress.
Without a strategy, diversity and inclusion progress is rarely sustained.
We find the diagnostic process that precedes the strategy – having conversations with people through focus groups – also helps to build engagement and motivation to act. People often tell us they’ve been waiting to have this conversation for a long time and are so relieved to have the space to share their lived experiences.
What types of organisations has Diversity Partners worked with?
We’ve helped hundreds of organisations in Australia and New Zealand develop their diversity and inclusion strategies over the past fifteen years. They’re from a large variety of sectors: resources, energy, transport, IT, health, sport, media and entertainment, financial services, as well as public sector entities and not-for-profits.
Our clients often comment on the value of the process being run externally to encourage candid responses in focus groups and to bring specialist advice and industry insights.
