In order to receive the citation, MinterEllison met WGEA's strict requirements for metrics on leadership, learning and development, gender remuneration gaps, flexible working and other initiatives to support family responsibilities, employee consultation, preventing sex-based harassment and discrimination, and targets for improving gender equality outcomes.

MinterEllison CEO Virginia Briggs commented, 'Our WGEA citation demonstrates that we are taking deliberate, strategic action to drive positive change towards gender equality. We're delighted to be ranked alongside clients such as Challenger, Charter Hall, Dexus, Frasers Property, Suncorp, Stockland, The GPT Group and Woolworths, who are some of the country's change makers for workplace gender equality.'

Enabling full participation and visibility for women in the workplace means providing support to working families, addressing pay inequality and dismantling obstacles to career progression. Virginia commented that in today's 'war for talent', the WGEA citation shows candidates that MinterEllison is serious about women's full and equitable participation in the workplace.

Highlights from MinterEllison's citation submission to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency include:

• meeting key milestones on the road to achieving gender targets in leadership; in 2020, we achieved our target of 30% female representation on our Board and in July 2021 our percentage of women in the partnership reached 34%; we are now working towards a new gender target 40:40:20 (40% women, 40% men and 20% any gender) represented on our Board and in our partnership by 2025
• adopting a new Parental Leave Policy with increased payments available to both parents (with no eligibility period), available anytime in the first 24 months from birth or adoption
• increasing support to families during the pandemic, including emergency childcare, virtual vacation and after school care, and parenting advice and education through a partnership with parenting services provider, Karitane
• supporting The Pink Elephants Support Network’s Leave for Loss Campaign, to successfully drive a change to the Fair Work Act 2009 to provide two days of paid leave to women who miscarry before 20 weeks as well as for their partners
• contributing to the Champions of Change Coalition on the Disrupting the System report on best practice for managing workplace sexual harassment
• introducing Bystander Awareness training for leaders at the firm.