WGEA Gender Equality Targets | How Kiddo offers a valuable Childcare Employee Benefit

The Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Closing the Gender Pay Gap) Act 2023 has now passed Parliament. From 2026, large employers with 500 or more employees must select and make progress on at least three gender equality targets. This significant reform will affect nearly 2,000 employers and 3.9 million employees, with WGEA aiming to close the gender pay gap and promote long-term equity across Australian workplaces. This article outlines how Kiddo Corporate Care can assist in meeting these targets, by providing parents and carers access to childcare as an employee benefit.

Understanding the 2025 WGEA Gender Equality target reforms

As outlined in WGEA's 27 March 2025 media release, employers will need to select from a menu of numeric and action-based targets, such as gender pay gap reduction, support for carers, prevention of sexual harassment, and board representation.

Employers must show they’ve made meaningful progress within a 3-year period, or they may face non-compliance consequences, including being named publicly or ineligible for some Commonwealth contracts.

Priority Action Areas: Gender Pay Gap, Carer Support, and Workplace Equity

The reforms highlight five key action areas:

• Reducing the gender pay gap

• Increasing representation of women on boards and leadership

• Providing real support for carers and parents 

• Actively consulting staff on workplace equity

• Preventing and addressing sexual harassment

Flexible Childcare as a strategic gender equality solution

One of the most impactful—and often overlooked—ways to support gender equality is by addressing childcare access. In dual-income households, lack of flexible childcare disproportionately affects women, reducing participation in full-time work and contributing to the pay gap.

Employers who invest in childcare support show measurable improvements in employee retention, satisfaction, and gender equity. Flexible childcare benefits aren’t just a “nice to have”—they’re a powerful business strategy.

How Kiddo Corporate Care supports Employers to reach gender targets

Kiddo Corporate Care helps organisations support their working parents and carers with:

• On-demand, app-based childcare across Australia

• Access to verified, trusted carers and babysitters

• Services that support both day-to-day needs and emergency care

• Ability to offer childcare as an employee benefit or subsidy

Partnering with Kiddo helps employers directly address the “support for carers” action area, while also contributing to increased female workforce participation and narrowing the gender pay gap.

Get Ready for 2026: Your next steps toward WGEA Compliance

Employers will need to report their chosen targets to WGEA between April–May 2026 (private sector) or September–October 2026 (public sector). That means there’s 12 months to prepare.

Start by:

• Reviewing your current policies on workplace equity and carer support

• Identifying gaps in support that may be affecting parents and carers

• Engaging childcare solutions like Kiddo Corporate Care to offer immediate, scalable help

• Contacting Kiddo to discuss how a tailored corporate care plan can support your gender equality goals

🎯 Need help meeting WGEA’s new gender targets?

Let Kiddo support your workforce through flexible, on-demand childcare solutions. Learn more about Kiddo Corporate Care here or drop us an email and we'll be in touch!