Labor’s Gender Equality Bill Disadvantages Men: Associate Professor

Workplace gender norms aren’t just holding women back—men who embrace caregiving roles or show vulnerability face stigma too.

Workers at a construction project in Newcastle, Australia, on May 13, 2024. Roni Bintang/Getty Images

A parliamentary committee has been informed about a lack of focus on the needs of men in the push for workplace gender equality in Australia.

During a recent inquiry hearing on the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Setting Gender Equality Targets) Bill 2024, Leonora Risse, an associate professor at the University of Canberra, raised concerns about some men struggling under existing gender norms.