ABC resets its diversity targets – some of which it’s meeting and some it’s not
The ABC has released its Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan 2023 – 2026, which shows the national broadcaster is reaching a number of its own employment targets, while falling short in other key areas.
Of the ABC’s total 4,419 employees, 55.4% are female, 44.1% male, and 0.5% gender diverse.
Currently, 55.4% of executive roles are held by women, higher than its own 50% target, while the number of women in tech roles is 24.2%, compared with the 25% goal.
The ABC has set an 8% employment target for employees with disability, which is currently at just 5.4%, while it is also missing its 3.4% Indigenous target, with employment currently at 3.3%.
It has set a higher 30% target for CALD (Cultural and Linguistically Diverse) workers in both content maker and executive roles, with current representation sitting at 24.2% and 20% respectively. The ABC notes it has tripled both these targets since 2020. Overall, CALD staffers make up 25.7% of total staff – the broadcaster has not set a target for this.
The report shows 12.9% of ABC staffers identify as LGBTQIA+. The ABC has no employment targets for this sector, and this marks the first time it has broken out this particular staffing statistic.
On top of these targets, the broadcaster will aim to ensure employee turnover rate is the same, or lower, for diverse employees as it is for ABC employees overall, and that it recruits at least six entry level candidates from diverse backgrounds every year.
The ABC will host an annual diversity and inclusion symposium each September, “as a foundation for organisational planning”, which will feature leaders in promoting gender, Indigenous, CALD, disability and LGBTQIA+ inclusion.
From December, the network will launch a targeted anti-racism and discrimination campaign, while a disability action plan is targeted for December 2024.
While specific content targets are not included in this plan (these are laid out in the broadcaster’s Commissioning for Diversity and Inclusion Guidelines, last updated in 2021), the ABC will now caption all video content, regardless of platform; provide transcripts for all podcasts, radio programs under an hour, and any audio snippets published online; and create ‘audio descriptions’ for at least 14 hours of key programming per week.
“This plan builds on the strong foundation for diversity we’ve already created and adopts ‘inclusion in practice’ as a fundamental principle to support our ongoing success,” managing director David Anderson said.
“Embracing people for who they are and celebrating our differences makes us stronger, more creative, and more relevant. We are committed to better reflecting social and cultural diversity in our workforce.”
Read the entire Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan 2023 – 2026 over at your ABC.
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Nathan Jolly is the Deputy Editor of Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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