Male chief executives are being recruited in Victoria to accelerate the "glacial" rate of change ctowards gender equality.
Kate Jenkins, the state's equal opportunity and human rights commissioner, is gathering 10-15 male executives, who will be charged with finding ways of improving the position of women.
"The idea behind it is for men - influential men in powerful positions - to identify what they can do to make change," Ms Jenkins said.
"It might be looking at getting more women in non-traditional roles. It might be looking at what we can do in education to change the course of our kids as they're going through. It might be about gender violence in workplaces as a broader issue. It's for them to decide."
Ms Jenkins detailed her plans for the Victorian Males Champion for Change group in an interview with Fairfax Media to mark her first year heading the commission. A similar group was established federally in 2010, which Ms Jenkins said wasdominated by Sydney-based chief executives.
Ms Jenkins said Victoria had equally strong leaders, and she was recruiting from companies with a national and international profile. Membership of the group will be revealed when it is finalised.
The rate of change towards gender equality had been glacial, she said. She acknowledged the important role played by many men.
But often, men would observe how much change had occurred, she said. "As a woman, if I'm getting paid 18 per cent less than a man doing exactly the same job, no, that hasn't changed. Not enough for me," she said.
"There has been societal change, but I think the standard is to get to equality, not simply closer to it."
The establishment of the male chief executives group is part of a push by Ms Jenkins to encourage a cultural shift in the community. While Victoria has had equality and discrimination laws since 1977, they had not brought about the change that was expected, she said. "It's cultural change and social change that you need."
The commission has also been asked by Victoria Police to conduct an independent review into sex discrimination and sexual harassment, including predatory behaviour, in the force.
The review, led by Ms Jenkins, follows what Chief Commissioner Ken Lay has described as "grubby" and "shameless conduct" by male officers revealed in at least 20 internal sexual harassment investigations over the past three years.
Sexual harassment of women still rates as one of the top issues raised in inquiries to the commission, with 540 made in 2013-14.
Ms Jenkins said many incidents remained invisible. And when complaints were made to the commission, they often involved base, primitive behaviour. "When they come to us they are really eyebrow-raising," she said.
There has been almost a 25 per cent increase in inquiries by the public to the commission over the past year. The commission believes that is partly explained by cutbacks in other areas of government, and people looking for an official point of contact.
