The Gender Institute is a cross-campus ANU institute launched by Dame Quentin Bryce AD, CVO in March 2011 when she was Governor-General of Australia. It has a dual mission: (1) to connect our ongoing work on gender and sexuality in research, education and outreach and (2) to promote innovative research and programs to help redress gendered inequalities at ANU.

Our approach to gender is inclusive and intersectional – embracing women, men, transgendered and gender diverse people – and highlighting the profound interaction between gender, sexuality, race, religion, class, age and ability in structures of unequal power within and beyond the University.

(1) We pursue our research and outreach aims through a series of vibrant programs. As well as the involvement of many of our members in large research programs funded externally (e.g. ARC, DFAT) we administer seeding grants which fund a wide range of contexts for knowledge exchange and debate: public lectures, visiting speakers, seminars, master classes, workshops and panels. Each year our largest grant goes to a signature conference which typically draws a very large group of participants nationally and internationally. Our events are advertised in widely read weekly newsletters during semester, newsletters which promote other relevant events in Canberra and across Australia, job, fellowship and internship opportunities and a selection of significant news stories. Hundreds of staff and student members at ANU and about 2000 affiliates beyond receive the newsletter; news is also posted on the website and disseminated through social media. The website includes an archive and reports on past events. We award annual student prizes for the best honours, Masters and PhD theses and the best article published by an HDR student. These are awarded by the Vice-Chancellor in an annual celebratory event.

(2) We also use our funds to promote gender equality research and initiatives at ANU. Past grants have gone to promoting women in the sciences, in the arts, and in promoting family friendly workplaces and greater accessibility for parents, including breastfeeding mothers. We collaborate with other relevant entities on campus, including gender equity and diversity committees in Schools and Colleges, student organisations including PARSA and ANUSA, the Pro-Vice Chancellor University Experience and the Vice-Chancellor’s Office. We also have external collaborations with other universities and partners in both the APRU and IARU global alliances, for example in IARU’s Women and Men in Globalizing Universities program.  

Read more about the Gender Institute structure and members.