Goal 5 - Gender Equality

Goal 5 - Gender Equality

RMIT is committed to supporting gender equality, positioning itself as a leader in gender equity.

In 2024, RMIT earned its sixth consecutive Employer of Choice citation from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, reflecting its commitment to inclusivity. The University supports women in STEM through scholarships, mentoring, inclusive hiring, and leadership development, fostering success for all.

RMIT addresses student gender equality by tackling under-representation in disciplines and leadership roles. It prioritises outreach, scholarships, and mentoring for women in under-represented fields. Strategic partnerships enhance gender equity across learning, teaching, and research, embedding equity into RMIT's culture and operations.

Highlights of recent SDG 5 aligned activity are included below, with more information available in our 2024 Sustainability Annual Report (PDF 23 MB), with our 10 years of reporting progress outlined on the Sustainability Annual Report webpage.

Broader sustainability contributions are also highlighted in our organisational Annual Report, which are tabled in the Victorian Parliament.

2024 Case Studies

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RMIT University launched the WOMENG (Advancing Women in Infrastructure Engineering) mentoring program in 2024 to strengthen career pathways for women in one of the most male-dominated areas of STEM. 

This multi-sponsored project is specifically designed to support to two audiences in the state of Victoria: the future of infrastructure engineering through the Youth Program (year levels 9-12), and the women currently contributing to the industry in leadership roles. 

The Youth Program introduces female students to the possibilities of infrastructure engineering through excursions to construction sites, production plants, and laboratories, a 9–5 workday experience alongside industry mentors, and a one-day RMIT workshop featuring senior women leaders in engineering. The Mid-to-Late Career Program focuses on career progression and leadership through a Breakfast Series with industry experts, a Shadow Program with senior managers, an Industry Buddy mentoring scheme, and career break planning webinars.

With over 80 applicants for just 20 places in its first year, WOMENG has demonstrated strong demand for structured support and industry connection. By addressing barriers to entry, advancement and fostering inclusive leadership, these programs build confidence, capability, and networks for women in engineering, helping address systemic gender imbalances and strengthening the future workforce.

An RMIT-led ovarian cancer research program, headed by Distinguished Professor Magdalena Plebanski at CAVA, targets early detection, new treatments, and personalised therapies through immunology, genetics, and bioinformatics. Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynaecological malignancy, with 70 per cent of cases diagnosed at a late stage. “Unfortunately, survival outcomes for ovarian cancer are very poor, with statistics and treatments not changing in decades,” says Professor Plebanski.

CAVA acts as a central hub for cellular immunology research, collaborating with over 20 hospitals and a range of partners across Australia, India, Malaysia, and Mexico. “We are now operating as a central hub for doing translational research in cellular immunology with more than 20 hospitals, and several not-for-profit organisations and large pharmaceuticals,” Professor Plebanski notes.

This initiative builds on our commitment to embedding a masculinities approach across all activities, in line with the proposed National Code’s emphasis on innovative strategies for engaging men in violence prevention

In August 2024, RMIT launched a 12-month pilot, an adaptation of the Working Together with Men (WTWM) model, tailored to the research environment. Delivered in partnership with RMIT’s Research and Innovation Portfolio, the program offers senior research leaders who identify as men the opportunity to advance their knowledge and skills in allyship for gender equity and the prevention of harm.

Twenty-eight senior male leaders participated, with 14 beginning the intensive allyship program. Over the year, participants progress through key phases of learning and action, ultimately co-designing ideas with women and their teams. This pilot demonstrates RMIT’s commitment to tackling the systemic drivers of gender-based violence.

SDG Alignment Mapping Overview

As reported in the 2024 Sustainability Annual Report, there were 61 course units and 156 research projects aligned with SDG 5 in 2024, representing a wide range of gender equality related topics. 

Other research insights are captured in the data below.

  • Course Units (Total): 61
  • Research Projects (Total): 156
  • International Research Partnerships (Total): 21
  • Publications (Total): 100
  • Publications in Top 25% Journal Percentiles by SJR (%): RMIT - 77.9 vs. Global Average - 60.5
  • Citations per Publication: RMIT - 1.5 vs. Global Average - 1.1
  • Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI): RMIT - 1.5 vs. Global Average - 1.0
  • National Publication Contribution (%): 4.1%
  • International Collaboration (%): RMIT - 52.0 vs. Global Average - 23.8
  • Developing Country Collaboration (%): 34%
  • Low to Lower-Middle Income Country Collaboration (%): 22%

Research Projects and Initiatives Over the Years

The following research projects have been specifically aligned to Sustainable Development Goal 5 and the aim to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. These projects and initiatives are examples of the University’s contribution to the SDGs over the years.

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Self-training program for nascent entrepreneurs

In recent years, Vietnam’s economy experienced rapid growth and integration into the global economy.

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Persistent gender disparity in schools in rural Balochistan, Pakistan

The status of girls’ education in the rural areas of Balochistan province in Pakistan is alarmingly low from the perspective of access, enrollment, retention and quality in the schools.

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Investigating the potential of International Landcare

Landcare, a grassroots community-led approach to sustainable land management, began in Australia in 1986.

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Improving the methods and impacts of agricultural extension in Western Mindanao, Philippines

This ACIAR project aims to use community-based extension to improve farmers livelihoods in western Mindanao (Philippines).

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

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