UNSW has introduced five gender categories into its internal people systems, aligning its data collection with Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) standards and expanding how gender diversity is recognised across the university.
In an email seen by Gamamari, the university confirmed that the changes follow a 12-month upgrade program designed to improve how gender information is collected and reported across institutional systems.
Previously, UNSW’s core People & Culture system allowed gender to be recorded in only three ways: female, male, or unspecified. The university acknowledged that the ‘unspecified’ category did not accurately reflect the identities and lived experiences of many members of the university community.
Under the updated system, gender can now be recorded using five categories: female/woman, male/man, non-binary, different term, and prefer not to answer. The categories align with ABS statistical standards to improve the capture of gender diversity in national data collection.
According to the email, the update will allow UNSW to build a more accurate and nuanced understanding of its community. Improved data collection may also support future policy development and initiatives related to gender inclusion across the university.
The message also acknowledged members of the UNSW community who have advocated for expanded gender recognition within institutional systems in recent years.
Staff can now update their gender information through the “My Gender” self-service portal on myUNSW.
While the university encourages individuals to select the option that best reflects their identity, providing this information remains voluntary, and the “Prefer not to answer” option will continue to be available.