SDG 5 – Gender equality

UQ has demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting women in higher education, with female students consistently making up more than 54% of the student population in recent years. In 2024 alone, UQ recorded over 14,000 student completions, with women representing a significant portion of these graduates. Access to university and support for female students – particularly in underrepresented areas including STEM – is supported through The Queensland Commitment, targeted scholarships and other specific initiatives.

Operationally, students and staff of all genders are well supported with access to flexible work and study arrangements, and other initiatives which facilitate participation in study or work. A range of mentoring and career development options are available to female staff and students, including in subject areas where females are an underrepresented group. Examples include the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology’s (EAIT) Women in Engineering and Women in Computing programs for students, and the Academic Staff Mentoring Program that fosters meaningful mentoring relationships to support the professional and personal development for both mentees and mentors. Approximately 58% of staff are women, including a significant number of our senior leaders, and they provide role-modelling and sponsorship to others across the organisation.

Our commitment to gender equality is also demonstrated through our research activities, and outreach and community advocacy are an integral part of our research initiatives. In 2024, UQ’s research advancing SDG 5: Gender Equality spanned local and global contexts, incorporating interdisciplinary approaches to health, leadership, LGBTQIA+ inclusion and intersectional gender issues in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting UQ’s support of reconciliation and Australia’s commitment to capacity building across the Indo-Pacific.

Read our SDG 5 2024 report (PDF, 313.12 KB)

See how we make a difference across key areas:

• Student access and progress
• Support for women – Staff and students

Student access and progress

We promote inclusive education for all students, including women, through flexible entry pathways, scholarships and targeted support. We aim to break down barriers to education, as articulated in The Queensland Commitment Roadmap, and these actions aim to benefit all underrepresented groups, including women, particularly those from regional, remote and low socio-economic backgrounds. We strive to provide support that continues through to graduation and are proud that this is reflected in our graduation rates, which indicate women graduate at the same or better rates than men.

Application, entry and participation for women

We are committed to creating inclusive pathways for all, including women, to access higher education, regardless of background or life stage. Together, these efforts reflect UQ’s broader commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, ensuring that women — regardless of location or circumstance — have fair and supported pathways into university education.

How we are achieving this

Admission Policy

UQ’s Admission Policy outlines the principles and requirements governing admission to UQ and applies to all applicants seeking admission to a UQ program or non-award study, except:

• Higher Doctorate and Professional Doctorate applicants (refer to the Higher Doctorates Policy and the Professional Doctorates Policy)
• shorter form credentials (refer to the Shorter Form Credentials Policy).

The ‘Equity of Access and Selection on Merit’ section outlines that UQ will establish admission schemes to support applicants with educationally disadvantaged backgrounds to gain admission. Admission schemes will be established in accordance with the procedures, and in these schemes additional or alternative criteria may be considered when assessing an individual’s academic merit and potential for success.

Tracking applications and admissions

UQ regularly tracks applications and admissions of students, including women, from a range of under-represented cohorts through the following mechanisms:

The Queensland Commitment Student Lifecycle Metrics Report

Introduced in 2024, the report enables data-driven actions to track and celebrate progress in admissions, enrolments, academic performance and completion rates for students from Indigenous, low socio-economic and regional or remote backgrounds.

Standard Business Intelligence reports

These reports are made available to decision makers across UQ, and regular reporting and analysis prepared for relevant committees (including the University Senior Executive Team and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee).

The Equity and Diversity Performance Measures Scorecard

The scorecard includes both staff and student metrics. In relation to students, it provides a range of metrics on students who are:

• from a low socio-economic background
• first in their family to attend university
• from a regional/remote area
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders
• from a non-English speaking background
• women enrolled in non-traditional disciplines (e.g. Engineering, Science, IT).

The Queensland Commitment

Through initiatives like The Queensland Commitment, we work to remove barriers for underrepresented groups, including women from low socio-economic, regional and remote communities. The Commitment states that by 2032:

• 30% of UQ’s domestic undergraduate students will come from a regional, remote, or low socio-economic background
• the proportion of domestic students identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander will reflect the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in Queensland.

Rural Access Scheme

One key initiative is the Rural Access Scheme, which benefits women from rural and remote areas by boosting their selection rank for entry into a wide range of undergraduate programs, particularly in health and medicine. Eligible applicants receive adjustment factors to help overcome educational disadvantages linked to geographic location.

Independent residential colleges

Independent, residential colleges within UQ also support women through targeted financial assistance. For example, The Women’s College at UQ provides over $265,000 annually in scholarships and bursaries to residents, helping women from financially disadvantaged backgrounds access university life and accommodation.

Scholarships

We offer a diverse range of scholarships aimed at supporting women across disciplines and educational levels. These scholarships reflect UQ’s commitment to gender equity and educational access. These include:

• Paul Compton Women in Finance Scholarship – provides financial support to female undergraduate students pursuing finance
• Master of Finance and Investment Management Outstanding Women Scholarship – offering $10,000 to postgraduate students with strong career aspirations in finance
• MBA Student Scholarship – Women – covers 25% of tuition for women entering the MBA program.
• Business School Master of Business Analytics Women in STEM Scholarship and the Elevate Scholarship – promote female participation in digital transformation and leadership in STEM.
• School of Mathematics and Physics Quantum and Advanced Technologies Honours Scholarship – prioritises women and underrepresented groups in advanced science fields.
• UQ Women in Action Fund – supports female students in engineering, design and IT to engage in global experiences.
• Dr Helen Row-Zonta Rural Health Scholarship – aids female medical students committed to rural practice.

Partnerships

UQ maintains direct partnerships with:

• community organisations, including collaboration with sporting bodies to reach diverse demographics
• school-based outreach programs targeting critical transition years
• industry to ensure program relevance and sustainability, and multi-faceted support including financial assistance, mentoring, and professional development.

One example is the Harding Miller Foundation Partnership – a collaboration with the Harding Miller foundation to support Year 9–12 students nationally, specifically targeting low socioeconomic status young women facing financial hardship and providing encouragement and pathways for continuing education.

Similarly, the Diamond Spirit Program, a partnership initiative with Netball Queensland, focuses on supporting Indigenous women to access higher education, using sport as a vehicle to encourage educational participation.

Women in Computing

Some discipline specific access schemes, including Women in Computing, aim to inspire and support girls and women to pursue careers in technology by offering workshops, events and leadership opportunities. Launched in 2023, Women in Computing is a dynamic initiative dedicated to expanding pathways and participation of women in technology and computing disciplines and fosters a diverse and inclusive tech community while building strong connections between high schools, university students and industry. Through outreach, immersive workshops, mentoring networks, and strategic partnerships, the program has reached hundreds of young women across Queensland and beyond, equipping them with technical skills, confidence, and professional connections. In 2024, 13 UQ student leaders were engaged in the Women in Computing program.

Mentoring

UQ provides students of all genders with the opportunity to engage in mentoring throughout their study journey. Before commencing their studies, students can participate in light-touch mentoring led by current students, allowing them to ask questions and gain insights to support a smooth transition into university life. The My Student Guide Program was initiated for the Semester 1, 2024 commencing cohort to allow new students to connect with an experienced student volunteer (guide) between their acceptance of offer and commencement. The interactions between new students and guides involve casual conversations with no set agenda other than to provide a space for general questions, shared knowledge and warm referrals to relevant student support services and resources. In 2024 we had 32 mentors (guides) connected with 457 pre-commencing students.

Once enrolled, students can join the Get Set Mentoring program – a 6-week, peer-to-peer, in-person mentoring initiative designed to foster connection and support as they settle into their studies. This program is discipline-based, helping students form early links with their academic school or faculty community. We had a total of 1625 mentees in the Get Set Program in 2024 with 338 mentors. In addition, the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences also runs mentoring programs, which due to the nature of enrolments in Allied Health programs, tend to have a very large number of female participants.

Discipline-specific mentoring schemes are available for students, including in areas where women are traditionally under-represented. For example, in 2024 the Women in Engineering Student Leadership & Mentoring program, which supports young women pursuing undergraduate studies in engineering, involved 30 student leaders in leadership and mentorship activities, equipping them with technical skills, confidence, and professional connections.

UQ Student Union

The UQ Student Union (UQU) operates a Women's Collective that serves as an advocacy body, organising events and campaigns to represent women's interests across campus. Additionally, a UQ Women’s Network has been designed to facilitate a smooth transition from academic life into professional careers.

Flexible entry pathways

For mature-age students and non-school leavers, UQ offers flexible entry pathways based on prior study, work experience or vocational qualifications. These options help women re-enter education or change careers at any age.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Behaviours Policy

Alongside these initiatives, we promote gender equity through our Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Behaviours Policy, which includes ensuring fair access to education and support services for all students, including women.

Women’s entry to underrepresented subjects

Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Behaviours Policy states that UQ is committed to creating a thriving, diverse community where all staff, students and members of the UQ community feel welcome, included and safe. It identifies specific areas of focus that include groups and disciplines where one gender is over-represented within a cohort. These areas of focus inform strategies, plans and programs to deliver on UQ’s aims to be a respectful institution that highly values diversity, equity and inclusion, so that all members of the UQ community can reach their full potential.

How we are achieving this

Scholarship programs

Scholarship programs include the Elevate Scholarship program, which is specifically designed to boost diversity in STEM fields and targets underrepresented groups including women, providing financial support to reduce barriers to education. UQ also has a range of women-specific scholarship opportunities available across various disciplines, targeted at encouraging women to enter non-traditional study areas. These provide both financial support and recognition for academic achievement.

Mentoring

UQ provides students of all genders with the opportunity to engage in mentoring throughout their study journey. Before commencing their studies, students can participate in light-touch mentoring led by current students, allowing them to ask questions and gain insights to support a smooth transition into university life. The My Student Guide Program was initiated for the Semester 1, 2024 commencing cohort to allow new students to connect with an experienced student volunteer (guide) between their acceptance of offer and commencement. The interactions between new students and guides involve casual conversations with no set agenda other than to provide a space for general questions, shared knowledge and warm referrals to relevant student support services and resources. In 2024 we had 32 mentors (guides) connected with 457 pre-commencing students.

Once enrolled, students can join the Get Set Mentoring program — a 6-week, peer-to-peer, in-person mentoring initiative designed to foster connection and support as they settle into their studies. This program is discipline-based, helping students form early links with their academic school or faculty community. We had a total of 1625 mentees in the Get Set Program in 2024 with 338 mentors. In addition, the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences also runs mentoring programs, which due to the nature of enrolments in Allied Health programs, tend to have a very large number of female participants.

Discipline-specific mentoring schemes are available for students, including in areas where women are traditionally under-represented. For example, in 2024 the Women in Engineering Student Leadership & Mentoring program, which supports young women pursuing undergraduate studies in engineering, involved 30 student leaders in leadership and mentorship activities, equipping them with technical skills, confidence, and professional connections.

STEM-focused initiatives

The Women in Engineering Program (WE), established in 2013 as a university-led, industry-funded initiative, inspires young women to pursue engineering careers by offering educational workshops, events and ongoing support to improve gender diversity in the engineering workforce. WE Student Leadership and Mentoring program is dedicated to supporting your women pursuing undergraduate studies in engineering. Its goal is to improve gender diversity in the engineering workforce by fostering interest, building confidence, and creating meaningful opportunities for current women engineering students. The initiative features a range of activities including a dedicated leadership camp, high school workshop facilitation training, professional skills development, and networking events with industry professionals. In 2024, 30 student leaders representing a diverse cohort took part in the program, ranging from second-year undergraduate students to those in their final year of engineering studies.

The Women in Science Association and the UQ Engineering Undergraduate Society are examples of student-led organisations supporting women pursuing STEM disciplines, providing networking and professional development opportunities.

Women in Technology (WiT)

UQ is an enterprise member of Women in Technology, a not-for-profit organisation supporting women across all fields of science and technology. WiT fills an important niche in the professional support resources available to women, helping to nurture, guide and support them during their whole career. They were the first organisation to bring women from all disciplines, all ages and all career levels together in a single, inclusive group. Students are eligible for free membership to this community and are able to participate in the mentoring program and other professional development activities.

Discipline-specific access schemes

Some discipline specific schemes, including Women in Computing, aim to inspire and support girls and women to pursue careers in technology by offering workshops, events and leadership opportunities. Launched in 2023, Women in Computing is a dynamic initiative dedicated to expanding pathways and participation of women in technology and computing disciplines and fosters a diverse and inclusive tech community while building strong connections between high schools, university students and industry. Through outreach, immersive workshops, mentoring networks, and strategic partnerships, the program has reached hundreds of young women across Queensland and beyond, equipping them with technical skills, confidence, and professional connections. In 2024, 13 UQ student leaders were engaged in the Women in Computing program.

Discipline-specific clubs

Other well-established discipline-specific clubs for women in various fields offer opportunities for women to engage with peers and build professional networks. These clubs create supportive communities within male-dominated areas of study. These include:

• medicine (Supporting Women in Medicine)
• business, economics and law (UQ Women in Business, Economics & Law Society and UQ Women in Economics Society (UQ WIES)).

Mentoring schemes for women students

UQ provides students of all genders with the opportunity to engage in mentoring throughout their study journey.

Before commencing their studies, students can participate in light-touch mentoring led by current students, allowing them to ask questions and gain insights to support a smooth transition into university life. The My Student Guide Program was initiated for the Semester 1, 2024 commencing cohort to allow new students to connect with an experienced student volunteer (guide) between their acceptance of offer and commencement. The interactions between new students and guides involve casual conversations with no set agenda other than to provide a space for general questions, shared knowledge and warm referrals to relevant student support services and resources. In 2024 we had 32 mentors (guides) connected with 457 pre-commencing students.

Once enrolled, students can join the Get Set Mentoring program — a 6-week, peer-to-peer, in-person mentoring initiative designed to foster connection and support as they settle into their studies. This program is discipline-based, helping students form early links with their academic school or faculty community. We had a total of 1625 mentees in the Get Set Program in 2024 with 338 mentors. In addition, the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences also runs mentoring programs, which due to the nature of enrolments in Allied Health programs, tend to have a very large number of female participants.

Discipline-specific mentoring schemes are available for students, including in areas where women are traditionally under-represented. For example, in 2024 the Women in Engineering Student Leadership & Mentoring program, which supports young women pursuing undergraduate studies in engineering, involved 30 student leaders in leadership and mentorship activities, equipping them with technical skills, confidence, and professional connections.

Supporting women's graduation rate

UQ has a business intelligence report that provides success and attrition data for all students, including by gender. This report demonstrates our commitment to tracking women’s graduation rate compared to men. It answers the question: for a given commencement year, what proportion of students whom we expect to graduate by now have actually graduated. The expected timeframe for graduation is the standard program length rounded up to a whole year, plus one year (e.g. a student who had commenced 4.25-year program graduated on time if they graduated (from any program) by the end of year 6 of studying).

Proportion of students who graduated by April 2025, by commencement year

The list below shows the proportion of students commenced in 2018–2022 who graduated before April 2025. It demonstrates that for all commencement years women graduate at higher rates than men. (Note that we do not have numbers for cohort years later than 2022, with 2023 cohort due to start graduating in 2025 by our definition of 'expected timeframe for graduation').

• 2018 – 61.9% women, 57.9% men
• 2019 – 62.8% women, 58% men
• 2020 – 63.8% women, 59% men
• 2021 – 62.4% women, 59% men
• 2022 – 70.7% women, 69.7% men

While our data indicates women graduate at the same or better rates than men, women at UQ can access several targeted initiatives which support their academic journey. UQ Union operates a women's collective that serves as an advocacy body, organising events and campaigns to represent women's interests across campus.

Well-established discipline-specific clubs for women in fields including medicine, engineering, business, economics, law and science offer opportunities to engage with peers and build professional networks. These clubs create supportive communities within male-dominated areas of study. Additionally, a women's network club has been designed to facilitate a smooth transition from academic life into professional careers.

These initiatives focus on creating an inclusive environment and addressing specific challenges women may face during their studies, even though graduation rates between genders show no significant disparity. The programs emphasise community building, professional development and practical support to ensure all women students have the resources needed to succeed academically and professionally.

Support for women – Staff and students

We are committed to developing and maintaining welcoming, respectful and inclusive work and study environments where all people are encouraged and able to be their authentic selves. Our vision is for UQ to be an international leader for the inclusion, respect, support and celebration of the diversity of gender, sex and sexuality in education and employment.

How we are achieving this

Non-discrimination policies, guidelines and trainings

We are committed to providing ongoing equity and diversity training that builds a more informed staff community.

UQ has various policies and procedures related to preventing discrimination, harassment and bullying:

• Staff Code of Conduct Policy
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Behaviours Policy
• Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Policy
• Prevention of Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying Behaviours Procedure
• Disability Inclusion and Reasonable Adjustment for Staff Procedure
• Student Code of Conduct
• Student grievance resolution process
• Other Leave Procedure (which covers, for example, domestic and family violence, gender affirmation leave, reproductive health and wellbeing, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural leave)

Protection when reporting discrimination or disadvantage

Policies protecting those reporting discrimination from educational or employment disadvantage include:

• Staff Grievance Resolution Procedure
• Staff complaints and appeals processes
• Student grievance resolution process

UQ Respect

In 2024, the role of the UQ Respect Network was expanded, enhancing strategies and efforts to address gender-based violence, discrimination and harassment. A new compulsory UQ Respect educational module (completed by 99.8% of students) was launched to support a culture of consent and respect, and to promote the support available to those who have experienced sexual assault or harassment.

LGBTQIA+ inclusion

UQ is committed to developing and maintaining a safe, positive and inclusive environment for all, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual and aromantic (LGBTQIA+) people that is free from discrimination, harassment and bullying. The UQ LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Action Plan (PDF, 261KB) 2024–2025 outlines actions under 3 objectives:

1. empower the UQ Ally Network
2. support LGBTQIA+ student inclusion and retention
3. evidence impact.

Targeted resources are also made available, such as LGBTQIA+ Recruitment Guide (PDF, 291KB).

Supporting women’s participation in the workplace

Maternity and paternity leave

Our provision for parental leave for staff covers both maternity and paternity leave, which are embedded in UQ’s Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (PDF, 1.52 MB).

Postgraduate research students who are in receipt of a stipend are eligible for 60 days of paid parental leave once they have completed 12 months of study.

Childcare

Childcare is available on campus for staff and students. There are several on-campus childcare, kindergarten and early learning centres at St Lucia campus, and one on Gatton campus, for children aged between 6 weeks and 5 years. Some providers also offer vacation care during the school holidays. The on-campus centres include:

• Campus Kindergarten
• Margaret Cribb Early Learning
• The Munro Centre
• Playhouse Parent and Childcare Centre
• Free Range Kids Gatton

Mentor opportunities

Mentoring opportunities are available to all professional staff, including women, for example, through UQ Professional Network Mentor Me program.

Some discipline-specific mentoring programs are available, including in subject areas where females are underrepresented. For example, the EAIT Academic Staff Mentoring Program is designed to connect early and mid-career academics with senior academic leaders to foster meaningful mentoring relationships that support professional and personal development for both mentees and mentors. The program framework has been established in alignment with UQ Policy 5.80.19 – Mentoring, ensuring a structured, evidence-based approach that reflects best practice in academic mentoring. The overarching aim of the program is to support professional growth, career development, and a strong academic community within the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology (EAIT). Through this structured approach, the EAIT Mentoring Program aims to enhance collaboration, build leadership capability, and strengthen academic performance across all career stages. In 2024 Faculty of EAIT held two rounds of academic staff mentoring which included 18 female mentees and 13 female mentors.

Specific mentoring programmes are also available to women through partner organisations, for example Women in Technology, of which UQ is an enterprise member.

Career progression

Career Advancement for Senior Academic Women Program (staff login required) supports participants' promotion to Professor (Level E) at UQ, by offering time, structure and connection to reflect, focus and act with intention.

The Career Progression for Women (CPW) (staff login required) program is purpose-built for UQ’s women and non-binary academic leaders, anchored in our context and designed to support, challenge and expand thinking and networks.

UQ also supports senior female staff, professional and academic, to attend leadership programmes, including WATTLE (Women Attaining Leadership in Education).

SAGE Athena SWAN program

UQ is part of the national SAGE Athena SWAN program, which aims to address and improve gender equity in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) disciplines. UQ is proud to hold a SAGE Athena SWAN Bronze Award which is a gender equity, diversity and inclusion accreditation for the Australian higher education and research sector. UQ is working towards achieving a Silver Award, having received its first silver accreditation, Cygnet, in December 2024. The Cygnet Award focused on the evaluation of UQ’s work to support the promotion and progression of academic women.

Implementation of the UQ Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP) (PDF, 492KB) is overseen by UQ’s Gender Steering Committee.