The Andrews Labor Government has appointed a respected workers compensation lawyer to head a new Ministerial advisory council set up to address gender equality in the workplace.

Liberty Sanger, a Principal and Board member at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, will chair the Equal Workplaces Advisory Council which is charged with promoting gender equality across the public and private sector.

The Chair will be joined by soon to be appointed members of business, unions, academia and the community sector.

The council is a founding reform contained in the Victorian Gender Equality Strategy.

It is tasked with highlighting best practice examples of gender pay equity across the public and private sectors.  It will also focus on gendered occupational segregation and developing an employer’s capacity to address gender inequity at their workplace.

Ms Sanger co-manages Maurice Blackburn’s Victorian WorkCover and road accident injuries (TAC) departments and is recognised by the prestigious Doyle’s Guide as one of only five leading lawyers in workers’ compensation in Victoria.

Ms Sanger is currently an Advisory Board member of the McKell Institute in Victoria and was a Board Director of Fed Square Pty Ltd from October 2009 to October 2012; and member of the Emergency Services and State Super Board between February 2010 and February 2013.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Industrial Relations Natalie Hutchins

“Promoting gender equality is extremely important to every workplace and this is one step in ensuring our government is leading the way in this area.”

“Ms Sanger is very qualified to lead this important initiative and I look forward to hearing innovative ideas on how to improve workplace equity from the council.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Women Fiona Richardson

“Sadly, we have a long way to go to make workplaces more fair and equitable for women.”

“Issues of equal pay and the lack of women in leadership is something the Equal Workplaces Council will help to address.”