About Gender Equity

In 1881 the University of Adelaide was the first Australian university to admit women to academic courses.

Over its history, the University has been responsible for many important milestones in Australia’s social reform, including:

• the University’s first female graduate, Edith Emily Dornwell (BSc., 1885),
• Australia’s first female surgeon, Laura Fowler (MB, 1891),
• the first Australian women to receive a doctorate in music, Ruby Davy (B.Mus., 1907; D.Mus., 1918), and
• the University was also the first to elect a woman to a University Council, Helen Mayo (MBBS, 1902).

For more achievements and important milestones see our gender equity and diversity timeline.

The University continues to make gender equity a key focus area, specifically incorporating a focus on diversity and inclusion as part of the current Strategic Plan.

The University of Adelaide has a 150-year history in championing the rights of women in higher education. We were the first University in Australia (and second in the world) to admit women to all academic courses on an equal basis to men, then went on to be the first Australian University to elect a woman to Council. Today, we continue to make gender equity a key focus area, specifically incorporating a focus on diversity and inclusion as part of the current Strategic Plan.

We are proud to report tangible progress in ensuring that women are not only adequately represented but also hold prominent senior leadership roles (as an example a female Chancellor). We prioritise the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, recognising their pivotal role in fostering fairer outcomes. Our commitment to building a workforce that mirrors the diversity of the population we serve, as well as broader society, is ingrained in our organisational ethos