We advance gender equity by promoting women in leadership and furthering women’s education.
In 1881 we became one of the first universities in the world to admit female students. By 1990 — just over a century after the first woman graduated — women students outnumbered men for the first time in our history, with 15,000 women enrolled in a student body of 26,000. By 2018, women made up well over half of our staff community – 57 percent in a total of 8000 staff.
These stories highlight our rich history – built on a foundation of inclusion – and our commitment to opening the doors to everyone to flourish in their educational pursuits.
In the University’s aim to promote gender equity in education we have gained the , as part of our commitment to the (SAGE) initiative.
Read the University’s Athena SWAN application here (pdf, 6.9MB).
The SAGE program promotes gender equity and diversity through assessing gender equality policies and practices and helping organisations establish ways to promote and retain women and gender minorities in their ranks.
Each year organisations that employ more than 100 employees provide high level workforce data to the who use this data to gain insight into gender representation and gender pay equity across Australia.
The University of Sydney also published an employer statement on 27 February 2024 following the release of the institution's gender pay gap data by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.
Our WGEA Public Reports are available to download below.
We hold an annual symposium: Women at Sydney: share, connect, change. Each year the symposium agenda includes inspiring talks, panel discussions and thought-provoking content presented by leaders from across the University to showcase, support and empower career success for women.
Throughout the year we share the stories of inspirational women leaders from across the University.
The Panel Pledge enables members of our University community to improve gender diversity on discussion panels, discussion forums and other external events.
The pledge is supported by the University’s SAGE program and consistent with our strategic aspiration to foster a culture that is built on our values.
More than 250 University staff have signed the pledge and that number continues to steadily grow. If you are interested in signing it, please contact us.
Throughout the year we will share the stories of inspirational women leaders from across the University.
1890 photo of women's cricket and tennis teams. University of Sydney archives [REF-00009756]
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We become one of the world’s first universities to admit women on equal terms with men after a unanimous decision by our governing body, the Senate.
1885
We celebrate the first two women to graduate from our Faculty of Arts, including (BA '1885).
1887
We create our first women’s sporting club – a Ladies’ Tennis Club.
Shortly after, we welcome our first two female alumni from Science and Medicine, including Fanny E Hunt (BSc '1888)
1894
We open Australia’s first university college for women.
In the decade following, we have women graduates in Pharmacy, Law and Dentistry, including Louisa Wilson (BPharm '1900).
1910 photo of Womens College students and their principal. University of Sydney Archives [REF-00054573]
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Elsie Dalyell is one of the first women to be awarded a Bachelor of Medicine with First-Class Honours. Today, the Dalyell Scholars program, part of our new undergraduate curriculum framework, is named after her.
1910
We create the Sydney University Women’s Sports Association.
1914
The University forms an important new voice for women’s rights on campus – the Sydney University Women's Union.
We see our first female alumni in Economics, Agriculture and Architecture, including (BEc '1914).
1934 photo of Patricia K Littlejohn, first female Veterinary Science graduate (BVetSc '1935).
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Constance D’Arcy becomes the first woman elected by graduates to join the Senate.
1931
Kathleen Commins becomes the first woman editor of the influential publication, Hermes, which is now Australia’s oldest literary journal.
1935
We have our first female Veterinary Science graduate, Patricia K Littlejohn (BVetSc '1935).
Photo from 1974, of male and female students in front of Fisher Library. University of Sydney Archives [G3_224_0933_1]
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Moya McDade becomes the first woman President of the Students’ Representative Council.
1948
Margaret Angas (AeroEng '1948), becomes our first female Engineering graduate.
1965
Felcia Corowa was the first known Aboriginal woman to be admitted to the University.
1969
Leonie Kramer became the first women professor at the University.
1972
Men and women join forces to form a single University of Sydney union, which now promotes social and cultural life on campus.
2009 photo of Emeritus Professor Dame Leonie Kramer AC DBE, receiving honorary degree from The Chancellor Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO (left). Photo: Copyright Memento Photography
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Women students outnumber men for the first time, with 15,000 women enrolled in a student body of 26,000. Women still out number men today.
1991
Dame Leonie Judith Kramer is appointed the University’s first female Chancellor.
2006
The University launches an important new academic hub for female students, practitioners and established academics around the globe that aims to have a strong and positive influence on policy development.
2014
The University of Sydney Business School partners with the UN Women National Committee Australia to promote gender equality at the most senior levels of Australia’s public, corporate and not-for-profit sectors.
We hold an inaugural women at work symposium, to support career progression for our female staff.
2016
To achieve greater representation of women in University leadership by 2020, the University launches its women’s Career Acceleration and Leadership Strategy.
The number of female professors at Sydney reaches 31 percent, up from 28 percent in 2015.
Our SAGE pilot program takes off to promote gender equity and diversity in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM).
2018
University of Sydney researchers publish first report examining women and the future of work, finding that Australian workplaces are not ready to meet young women's career aspirations or support their future success.