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Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at CEPAR

EDI principles, policies and practice

CEPAR is an equal opportunity employer committed to the principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).

Equity refers to the fair and respectful treatment of all, including the elimination and rectification of barriers, systemic and structural injustices faced by some groups. 

Valuing diversity means that we recognise and respect the unique qualities and needs of individuals.

Inclusion means that all individuals feel respected, accepted and valued.

The principles outlined by the Centre's EDI policy encourage greater equity and inclusion for diverse individuals including:

  • Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and other First Nations peoples;
  • Culturally, linguistically, or racially diverse individuals;
  • People who are diverse in terms of gender, sex, or sexuality (LGBTIQ+);
  • People of diverse abilities; and
  • People of diverse ages. 

For more information on the pillars of diversity identified above, please visit the Australian Human Rights Commission.

CEPAR Grievance Officer: Colleen Faes-Scott, Director of Operations, colleen.faes@unsw.edu.au, 0293856367

CEPAR EDI Policy CEPAR EDI COMMITTEE EDI Resources CEPAR EDI Survey EDI resources at CEPAR's Universities

 

CEPAR EDI Policy

DOWNLOAD: EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION (EDI) AT CEPAR: PRINCIPLES, POLICIES AND PRACTICE

(Version 4, September 2020)

The principles outlined in this policy apply to all research staff, professional staff and CEPAR-affiliated students based at the Centre's university nodes. 

CEPAR’s commitment to principles of ED&I is supported by workplace and diversity policies and codes of conduct in place at each of the collaborating universities. 

As CEPAR is a collaboration involving a number of universities, please be aware that the policies of the CEPAR member’s home university will override CEPAR policy where there is a difference. Links to relevant University policies are included in the document and below.


CEPAR EDI Committee

EDI initiatives at CEPAR are led by the Co-Directors of ED&I, CEPAR Chief Investigators Scientia Professor Kaarin Anstey and Professor Warwick McKibbin AO. The Co-Directors are supported by a Centre-wide committee focused on supporting and enhancing equity, diversity and inclusion at CEPAR.

EDI Champions are members of the CEPAR committee convened by the Co-Directors who volunteer to promote ED&I at their CEPAR node. EDI Champions make suggestions for improvement to the CEPAR EDI policy and programs, model inclusive behaviour and language, and provide support to CEPAR-affiliated personnel and students regarding EDI matters.

CEPAR’s current EDI Champions are:

Joanna Bayliss, UNSW Sydney

Dr Brooke Brady, NeuRA, UNSW Sydney

Dr Daniel Dinale, The University of Sydney

Associate Professor Ravani Duggan, Curtin University

Dr Lisa Gulesserian, WTW

Abigail Hansen, NeuRA, UNSW Sydney

Dr Meimanat Hosseini-Chavoshi, The University of Melbourne

Associate Professor Kate O'Loughlin, The University of Sydney

Associate Professor Fiona Stanaway, The University of Sydney

Michelle Vhudzijena, UNSW Sydney

Silke Weiss, UNSW Sydney

Dr Fangfang Zhang, Curtin University

CEPAR thanks former committee members for their dedication and invaluable contributions:

Professor Marian Baird AO (The University of Sydney)
EDI Director (2019-2023)

Dr Gretchen (Gigi) Petery (National Center for Productive Aging and Work (NCPAW))
EDI Champion (2020-2023)

Dr Tom Wilson (The University of Melbourne)
EDI Champion (2020-2023)


EDI Resources

  • Kinship learning module - This online learning module, developed by Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi woman Associate Professor Lynette Riley at the University of Sydney, covers the systems of social organisation that traditionally govern Aboriginal societies and explains this significant cultural difference.
  • Community narratives - Find out more from Aboriginal people who provide examples from their lives of times when cultural difference was not understood and created conflict and/or trauma in their lives.
  • Diversity Council Australia/Jumbunna Institute (Brown, C., D’Almada-Remedios, R., Gilbert, J. O’Leary, J. and Young, N.) Gari Yala (Speak the Truth): Centreing the Work Experiences of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians, Sydney, Diversity Council Australia/Jumbunna Institute, 2020.
  • Diversity Council Australia/University of Sydney Business School (R. D’Almada- Remedios, D. Groutsis, A. Kaabel, and J. O’Leary) Counting Culture: Towards a Standardised Approach to Measuring and Reporting on Workforce Cultural Diversity in Australia, Sydney, Diversity Council Australia, 2021.
  • Dudgeon, P., Wright, M., & Coffin, J. (2010). Talking It and Walking It: Cultural Competence. Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, 13(3), 29-44.
  • Evans, Olivia (2021). Gari Yala (Speak the Truth): Gendered insights, WGEA Commissioned Research Report in partnership with the Jumbunna Institute of Education and Research and Diversity Council Australia, Sydney, Australia.
  • Papers on Australian population issues relating to diversity measures, published in the Journal Australian Population Studies:
  • Transgender experiences of ageing: In collaboration with LGBT community partners and BLAQ Aboriginal Corporation, members of the UNSW Sydney community led by CEPAR Research Fellow and EDI Champion Dr Brooke Brady have produced a series of short video portraits exploring transgender women’s experiences of self-discovery and their hopes and expectations about growing older. This project was supported by a grant from the UNSW Women’s Wellbeing Network. If you would like to know more about this project, please contact Brooke Brady:
    • Rusty – a Yamatji/Noongar woman who grew up trans on country in Western Australia, before moving to Sydney in the 80’s and finding herself in the turmoil of the Cross. » Watch the video portrait «
    • Carol – who “came out” as trans in her mid-fifties to the surprise of friends and family and who continues to navigate the loss of relationships and the growth of a new, more authentic sense of self.  » Watch the video portrait «
  • Age inclusion and diversity: EDI Champion Dr Gigi Petery, who is an Associate Investigator in CEPAR and co-director of the United States federal agency NIOSH's Center for Productive Aging and Work, discusses age inclusion and how employers can best accommodate the growing number of mature workers while building an age-friendly workplace, in this Safety+Health magazine podcast interview (starts at 10:25min). » Listen to the podcast interview «
  • Workplace ageism: Gretchen A. Petery, and James W. Grosch (2022). Broadening the View of Workplace AgeismWork, Aging and Retirement.
  • Age stereotypes and ageism: Dr Natasha Ginnivan is a CEPAR Research Fellow at UNSW Sydney whose research focus is on investigating implicit and cultural attitudes to ageing, age stereotypes and self-perceptions of ageing. She discusses her current research on stereotypes and media portrayal of older people in this Baby Boomers Guide to Life radio program and podcast interview (starts at 1:50min), followed by an Intergenerational conversation about media and age stereotypes.
  • Disability Confident Training: Knowledge, skills and tools to build disability confidence

CEPAR EDI survey

In 2019 CEPAR conducted a survey of CEPAR personnel designed to better understand the experiences of our members. Further EDI surveys were conducted in 2020 and 2022, and a fourth will be conducted in 2023/2024.


EDI resources at CEPAR's university nodes

Australian Research Council: Workplace Diversity

Codes of Conduct at CEPAR's universities are available at the following weblinks:

EDI policies and information at CEPAR's universities:

  • UNSW has a dedicated Workplace Diversity Unit within Human Resources. Details about policies supporting equity and diversity are available here
  • ANU has an Equity and Diversity Team located within its Human Resources Department. Information and resources are available here.
  • Curtin University’s Equity Plans and Strategies are available here.
  • The University of Melbourne describes its culturally inclusive environment here
  • The University of Sydney describes the range of activities focused on supporting equity and diversity here.