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Diversity & Inclusion

Creating an equitable tech landscape

Background

Our work is based on the belief that the problems we face cannot be solved unless a greater number and diversity of people become involved in civic life and have input into critical community issues. The current situation – where few participate and public institutions don’t reflect the interests or demographics of the people they serve – is a dead end. Reinventing government for the 21st Century can only happen if new ideas and priorities can gain momentum in the public sector, and that won’t happen without broadening the spectrum of people who have a hand in shaping public life.

Our mission is to create a culture and environment that encourages and fosters people of all backgrounds, and with differing experiences, to thrive – both on and offline. This isn’t a linear journey. We don’t work hard at being diverse and inclusive and and arrive at perfection. All our polices are living documents – the only thing they have in common is progress.

At the end of 2019, we began working with Hueman Equity Consulting, an organisation with expertise in inclusion, diversity, intersectionality, equity, and reconciliation. They provided us with a list of 38 recommendations that we’ve begun to implement and are tracking their development. Further, we’ve been documenting our processes on our blog, and are open to feedback, collaboration, and sharing of our policies and procedures.

Definitions

These definitions have been taken from Buffer‘s diversity and inclusion guide.

Diversity

Differences between people on an individual level (e.g. ability, learning styles, and life experiences) or group/social level (e.g. race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, as well as cultural, political, religious, or other affiliations). In the workplace, diversity involves a shared “understanding, acceptance, and value that is placed on the differences between coworkers.

Inclusion

A dynamic state of operating in which diversity is leveraged to create a fair, healthy, and high-performing organisation or community. An inclusive environment ensures equitable access to resources and opportunities for all. It also enables individuals and groups to feel safe, respected, engaged, motivated, and valued, for who they are and for their contributions toward organisational and societal goals.

Our values

Policies & Resources

Cultural Competency

Cultural Competency

We encourage you to explore our Cultural Competency Trello Board which includes a variety of useful resources we employ in our continual work to create the kind of workplace and community where everyone can thrive.

Gender Equity

Gender Equity

As an organisation, Code for Australia is committed to promoting gender equity and have a dedicated policy to reflect this which details family violence protocols, further resources, and our detailed list of commitments.

Hiring Policy

Hiring Policy

The tech community is not reflective of the diverse population of Australia. We seek and encourage applicants from underrepresented groups to apply for positions with us and advertise all positions across a range of diverse recruitment channels, and work to remove any barriers that may prevent individuals from applying.

Discrimination & Harassment

Discrimination & Harassment

We’re committed to providing a safe, flexible and respectful environment for our staff and government partners free from all forms of discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment. We have detailed procedures for all staff and community members should they encounter discrimination or harassment in any facet of their work.

Transgender & Non Binary Policy

Transgender & Non Binary Policy

We commit to making our workplace a safe place for transgender and non-binary people to work and to live as their authentic selves, without judgement, without discrimination and without limits. We understand that employment and workplace safety and security are major challenges and we believe in supporting them as co-workers, employees and people.

Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct

For any event, program or activity created or facilitated by Code for Australia, we are dedicated to providing a welcoming and positive experience for all, regardless of background, culture, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, or accessibility needs. For a detailed outline of our Code of Conduct including language guidelines, head here.

Questions or feedback?

You can also check out our Handbook - our way of making our policies open source and allowing members of the Code for Australia team and community to shape and contribute to the organisation.

Let’s tackle social problems, together.

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We're based in Melbourne, on the traditional lands of the Woiwurrung and Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin nation. We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging across Australia.

As an organisation we benefit from the rich history of contributions that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people have made to the world.

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