Gender Pay Gap Employer Statement
Our Commitment to Gender Equality
At Charles Sturt University we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workforce where every staff member feels valued and empowered. We strive to create a workplace culture that upholds dignity and respect, encouraging the sharing of ideas and perspectives that celebrate our differences. Our goal is for all staff to feel safe, supported, and able to thrive at work.
Charles Sturt University is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workforce where every staff member feels valued and empowered. We strive to create a workplace culture that upholds dignity and respect, encouraging the sharing of ideas and perspectives that celebrate our differences. Our goal is for all staff to feel safe, supported, and able to thrive at work.
We recognise that gender equity is a complex and evolving area, and we remain committed to strengthening our systems and removing barriers that affect gender pay equity. Our focus is on eliminating workplace discrimination and empowering our workforce through education and meaningful action. Our Gender Equality Action Plan 2026–2028, developed in consultation with stakeholders across the University, outlines a program of initiatives designed to foster a positive, respectful and inclusive workplace. Through this Plan, we are ensuring that gender equity continues to sit at the heart of our culture at Charles Sturt University.
We are proud to hold the Athena Swan Bronze Award, the only internationally recognised framework for gender equity, diversity, and inclusion. Additionally, we continue to update and redesign various programs and initiatives to support our female staff and those from other key priority areas, including First Nations, accessibility and neurodiversity, carers, diverse faiths and cultures, and LGBTIQA+.
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Our Context
Charles Sturt University is the largest regionally based university in Australia, enrolling approximately 35,000 on-campus and online students from across Australia and more than 72 countries worldwide. We have campuses in Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Goulburn, Orange, Sydney, Port Macquarie, and Canberra, and deliver programs internationally in collaboration with leading partner institutions. As a significant employer in our regions, we provide interesting and rewarding employment opportunities, contributing to the prosperity and vibrancy of our rural and regional communities, with a reach and impact across Australia and the world.
Our goal for our staff is to support, empower, and inspire each other to deliver excellence by creating opportunities for our people to excel, developing capability, recognising achievements, and building a healthy, equitable, and inclusive university culture.
31 March 2025 Snapshot Data
- Number of employees; 4,040
- 67% Women, 33% Men
- 3.2% First Nations
- 3.5% have a disability
- 12.7% speak a language other than English at home
Table 1: Charles Sturt Workforce Composition by Role
Role | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
Key management personnel* | 60% | 40% |
Managers | 62% | 38% |
Non-managers | 67% | 33% |
* Key Management Personnel included the Vice-Chancellor, Provost & Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Chief Operating Officer.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research role was held by two occupants on the snapshot date. The accurate composition of the University’s Senior Executive Team is presented below.
Charles Sturt’s Senior Executive Team, including the Vice-Chancellor and key management personnel, is 75% women, 25% men
The Gender Pay Gap at Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt has recorded a slight increase in the gender pay gap over the past year across average total remuneration, median total remuneration, and average base salary. The average total remuneration gap now sits at 10.4% in favour of males, up from 10.1% in the previous year. However, we remain below the higher education sector average of 11%.
Notably, the median base salary gap has decreased at a higher rate than the median total remuneration gap. This pattern suggests that university wide allowances, such as loadings, higher duties, or other additional payments may be influencing the overall gap and contributing to the widened disparity.
Table 2: The gender pay gap at Charles Sturt University on the snapshot date of 31 March 2023-2025.
All employees | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|
Average total remuneration | 11% | 10.1% | 10.4% |
Median total remuneration | 12.8% | 9.5% | 10.1% |
Average base salary | 10.3% | 9.0% | 9.5% |
Median base salary | 13.1% | 10.0% | 7.9% |
Although the gender pay gap has widened slightly over the past year, Charles Sturt remains focused on long-term, sustainable actions to reduce it. We continue to strengthen intersectional and inclusive practices, including improving recruitment processes, supporting academic promotion for carers and culturally and linguistically diverse staff, expanding flexible work options, enhancing employee networks and Diversity Champion advocacy, and continuing to raise awareness on menstruation and menopause leave. Like other regional institutions, Charles Sturt University faces "different conditions and challenges" (THE, 2024) compared to metropolitan universities, which contribute to our gender pay gap.
Figure 1: Percentage of women and men staff members by WGEA pay quartiles
At Charles Sturt women are the majority across all pay quartiles however, the high percentage of women at the lower quartiles, often including those working in part-time and casual roles, contributes to our gender pay gap. Many of these lower quartile roles are traditionally female-dominated administrative and service-oriented roles, which reflect broader workforce patterns in the higher education sector. This distribution has remained relatively the same as the previous reporting period.
Actions and Strategies
Charles Sturt remains committed to furthering gender equity and reviewing the intersection of gender with other key diversity groups.
Throughout 2026, we will address this by:
- Establishing the Gender Equality Action Plan, including the appointment of an executive Gender Equity Sponsor.
- Enhancing support for staff during key life stages and career interruptions, including parental leave, caring responsibilities, menopause, and menstruation leave.
- Reviewing manager roles to identify opportunities to expand part-time and job-share working arrangements.
- Acknowledging gender equity days of significance, including those recognising intersectional diversity.
- Reviewing and implementing the Senior Remuneration Framework, positioning the University ahead of forthcoming sector-wide Governance Principles aimed at strengthening accountability, transparency and public trust.
- Continuing to promote and support the Gender Equity Employee Network, connecting individuals with shared identities and experiences to raise important issues and influence university priorities.
- Continuing to monitor and address insights from the annual staff engagement survey (Your Voice).
Notes about the gender pay gap calculation
- The data is from the snapshot date of 31 March 2025 and includes headcount and remuneration data of all Charles Sturt employees on this date only.
- The data includes fixed term, part-time and casual staff with all wages annualised to full-time equivalent.