University of Western Sydney was awarded with an 'Employer of Choice for Women' by The Federal Government's Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA), a citation for the 7th consecutive year.

The prestigious title demonstrates the University's ongoing commitment to creating a fair and equitable workplace for working women and men.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Janice Reid says she is delighted that the University has been awarded this significant honour.

UWS has a workplace culture that values equality of opportunity and is supportive of women by providing flexible work arrangements with a concerted emphasis on providing opportunities for advancement for female staff members, she said.

The Employer of Choice for Women (EOCFW) citation is a prestigious acknowledgement awarded by EOWA to organisations that are recognising and advancing women in the workplace. For an organisation to gain recognition by EOWA, strict criteria must be met.

The University has received the accolade every year since it was first announced in 2001 by providing a wide range of programs and policies that support women in the following ways:
* 20 weeks' paid maternity or adoption leave
* Flexible work practices such as job sharing
* Anti-harassment training
* A strong commitment to ensuring women are represented on committees.

As testament to the University's commitment to eliminating barriers to women and members of equity groups, UWS has introduced the key staffing strategy, 'Our People 2015'. The strategy will focus on implementing streamlined, transparent and fair processes resulting in the attraction and retention of a diverse range of staff.