Challenging stereotypes, sharing responsibility, and creating inclusive and respectful workplaces were the key messages from Dr Anna Cody, Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner, at the University of Sydney Business School on Wednesday evening.

Delivering the second annual Gender Equality at Work Lecture, Dr Cody discussed the findings of the Commission’s Speaking from Experience project and laid out her agenda for 2026, including tackling sexual violence in the military and pregnancy discrimination.

“Despite being illegal, pregnancy discrimination remains a major barrier to gender equality and economic participation. Policies and workplace cultures still privilege uninterrupted full-time work, penalising those with care responsibilities,” Dr Cody said.

“This impacts women’s economic independence, career progression, and contributes to the gender pay gap, as well as stress, time poverty, and declining quality of life for families.

“My team and I are currently doing scoping work for a potential project that will look into the issues of pregnancy discrimination and shared care, so we can better understand the problem and create effective solutions.”

The announcement was welcomed by Professor Rae Cooper AO, Director of The Australian Centre for Gender Equality and Inclusion @ Work.

The Centre’s Gender Equality @ Work Index recently revealed that unequal caring responsibilities and sexual harassment are two of the biggest barriers to gender equality at work in Australia.

“We thank Dr Cody for outlining her priorities for 2026. Her work shines a light on critical issues facing Australians at work and plays an important role in driving national attention to them,” Professor Cooper said.

“Gender-based discrimination remains a pernicious problem in Australian workplaces and we are committed to producing the evidence leaders, including Dr Cody, need to address it. We look forward to working with her to deepen understanding of pregnancy discrimination, strengthen insight on sexual harassment, and support more gender inclusive workplaces.”

Dr Cody’s lecture featured the stories of women who had experienced workplace sexual harassment and covered other topics including the rights of trans and gender diverse people, and the role of stereotypes and gender norms.

“Strict ideas of masculinity and femininity limit opportunities for everyone. They shape how we think we are expected to behave, what roles we’re allowed to take on, and how freely we can express who we are,” she said.

“In many homes, relationships may be equal – until a child arrives. It is often the time when traditional gender roles quietly take over. This shift doesn’t just affect careers; it can reshape relationships.

“To create an Australia that sees caregiving as a shared responsibility, we must move away from rigid ideas that men are the breadwinners and women are the caregivers. We must change the narrative that taking parental leave is only for one parent. It’s time to recognise that being both a worker and a carer at the same time is the reality for most of us.”

Dr Cody’s address was the second annual Gender Equality at Work Lecture, with the inaugural speech delivered last year by Senator the Hon. Katy Gallagher, Minister for Women.

The Australian Centre for Gender Equality and Inclusion @ Work invites collaboration, investment and partnership to help inform and drive progress toward an equal future. Learn more about partnership opportunities at the centre website.