Companies that obtain Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) citations have lower wage gaps, new stats show. 

New analysis indicates that Australian employers who receive the Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation from the WGEA are making significant strides in closing gender pay gaps and fostering equitable work environments. 

According to the WGEA, EOCGE-certified employers have an average gender pay gap of 17.4 per cent, which is 26 per cent lower than non-certified employers. 

These organisations also have more women on governing boards, longer periods of employer-funded parental leave for primary carers, and a higher percentage of male managers taking primary carer's leave.

The WGEA says these results are encouraging for all employers striving to accelerate change in their workplaces. 

It notes that EOCGE-certified employers have made gender equality an integral part of their business strategies, which has resulted in the reduction of gender pay gaps and the implementation of better support structures for working families. 

EOCGE-certified employers are also delivering strategic recruitment, promotion, and retention practices that encourage the full participation of women in the workplace.

To become EOCGE-certified, employers must pass a rigorous, evidence-informed evaluation of workplace policies and actions across seven key areas. 

The certification process also requires employee confirmation that there's a zero-tolerance approach to gender-based harassment and sexual harassment and that managers create environments that support equality for all employees. 

The Agency's research, in partnership with the University of Queensland, has shown that citation holders have a higher proportion of women in management and a stronger pipeline of women moving into senior management.

The WGEA says CEOs have reported that being an employer of choice exposes their blind spots and challenges them to continually improve their gender equality objectives.