Global Institute for Women's Leadership - ANU

What Global Institute for Women's Leadership - ANU does

The Global Institute for Women's Leadership (GIWL, pronounced 'jewel') is a multi-disciplinary research institute operating within the Australian National University in Canberra. Founded in 2012 by Julia Gillard, Australia's first female Prime Minister, and led by Professor Michelle Ryan as inaugural Director, GIWL combines research, practice, and advocacy to advance workplace gender equality and women's leadership. The institute's research portfolio spans intersectionality, the glass cliff phenomenon, media and online safety, politics and international affairs, the care economy, climate, the space sector, workplace issues, and youth voices — using mixed methods including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and statistical analysis.

GIWL's customer base is anchored by government and policy clients, including the Australian Government through the Investing in Women initiative (2023-2027, covering Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam), HACSU (Victorian healthcare workers research), and the eSafety Commissioner's Office. Nonprofit advocacy partners include Women Onside (national women's football survey) and Women for Election (political participation research). Academic and research partnerships extend to in-country Southeast Asian institutes SMERU (Indonesia), PIDS (Philippines), and MDRI (Vietnam).

The institute operates a non-commercial revenue model consistent with its academic mandate. Funding flows from government grants (notably Investing in Women), tax-deductible donations (one-time and recurring), merchandise sales through the GIWL store, and royalties from the 'Not Now, Not Ever' book published by Penguin. Distribution occurs through research publications, policy submissions, an award-winning podcast, events and webinars, social media channels (Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Bluesky), and email newsletters. GIWL functions as part of ANU's academic structure with no external private equity or venture capital ownership and no traditional funding rounds.

Name

Global Institute for Women's Leadership - ANU

Legal name

Global Institute for Women's Leadership at Australian National University

Website

https://giwl.anu.edu.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Global Institute for Women's Leadership (GIWL) is a multi-disciplinary research institute at the Australian National University that advances workplace gender equality through research, evidence-based policy practice, and advocacy, serving governments, organisations, academics, and advocacy groups globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Science Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAEALAO

Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance)

Education/Education Facilities & Support Services/Outsourced Operations & Managed Services for Education (BPO/Contracted Support)

Keywords

• Gender equality research
• Workplace diversity consulting
• Social science research
• Policy advisory services
• Women's leadership studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Canberra

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Core funding from Australian Government through initiatives like Investing in Women, an Australian Government initiative to accelerate women's economic equality in Southeast Asia (running 2023-2027).
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including mugs, t-shirts, notebooks, tote bags, button badges, and tea towels through the GIWL store. Profits support GIWL research and advocacy work.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted (all donations over $2 are tax-deductible), with options for one-time or recurring gifts (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually).
4. Publications: Sales of the 'Not Now, Not Ever' book published by Penguin, with proceeds going directly to GIWL to support research and advocacy work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GIWL is a multi-disciplinary academic research institute at the Australian National University that conducts evidence-based research on workplace gender equality and women's leadership. It translates research into policy, practice, and training services for governments, organisations, and leaders, while also running advocacy programs, an award-winning podcast, and selling branded merchandise to fund its work.

Product overview

The Global Institute for Women's Leadership (GIWL) is a multi-disciplinary research institute at the Australian National University that combines research, practice, and advocacy to advance gender equality. Rather than a technology product company, GIWL offers a portfolio of research services including research reports and publications (covering gender norms, care economy, workplace equality, and political participation), national surveys, evidence-based training programs, policy advocacy services, an award-winning podcast, and branded merchandise. The core offerings center on research-to-practice translation, providing governments and organizations with evidence-based solutions for advancing gender equality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Reports and Publications
• Policy, Practice and Training Programs
• GIWL Branded Merchandise
• 'Not Now, Not Ever' Book

Quantifiable outcome

• Research into glass cliff named one of top 100 ideas that shaped 2008 by New York Times
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Women OnsidecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Partnership on landmark national research project exploring experiences of women and gender-diverse Australians who play, work, and volunteer in Australian football. This is a national first survey examining inclusion, leadership, and opportunity across all levels of the game.
• Investing in WomencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Primary research partnership with Investing in Women, an Australian Government initiative to accelerate women's economic equality across Southeast Asia. GIWL provides thought-leadership, contributes new knowledge on effective approaches, and conducts research on gender norms, care economy, and gender-inclusive work policies. Current phase runs 2023-2027.
• Women for ElectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on research survey exploring barriers preventing politically engaged women and gender-diverse people from greater participation in politics, including running for political office. Research published as report with recommendations for policymakers.
• SMERU Research InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn-country research partner in Indonesia for future demand for care research across Southeast Asia.
• Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn-country research partner in the Philippines for future demand for care research across Southeast Asia.
• Mekong Development Research Institute (MDRI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn-country research partner in Vietnam for future demand for care research across Southeast Asia.
• eSafety Commissioner's OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint event collaboration to explore new research and practical resources for preventing gendered workplace cyber-abuse.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• International Women's Development Agency (IWDA): Australian-headquartered gender equality and women's rights organization with deep Southeast Asia and Pacific programming. Highly comparable on geography, donor base, and DFAT-aligned funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Overseas Development Institute (ODI): Global affairs think tank producing development research including gender equality, care economy, and social norms. Comparable in research-to-policy translation and multi-country development evidence.
• UN Women: United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, producing flagship global research (e.g., Progress on the SDGs, Gender Snapshot). Overlaps with GIWL on policy research, international advocacy, and gender-norm data.
• McKinsey Global Institute (Women in the Workplace research, with LeanIn.org): Large-scale annual workplace gender research collaboration widely cited by corporates and policymakers. Comparable on workplace gender evidence, scale of survey data, and corporate advisory translation.

Direct peers

• Catalyst: Global research and advisory organization focused on workplace gender equality, leadership pipelines, and inclusion. Closely comparable to GIWL in evidence-based workplace research and corporate advisory practice.
• Institute for Gender and the Economy (GATE), Rotman School of Management: Academic research institute at a leading business school focused on gender and economic research. Comparable as a university-hosted, academic research unit producing evidence on workplace gender equality.
• Wellesley Centers for Women: University-based research center producing social science research on gender equality, leadership, and child/youth development. Comparable in academic social-science research methodology and gender-equality focus.
• International Center for Research on Women (ICRW): Global non-profit research organization focused on gender equality, women's economic empowerment, and policy research across the Global South. Directly comparable to GIWL in mission, multi-country research methodology, and policy advisory orientation.

Emerging players

• Women in Global Health: Global movement and research-advocacy organization focused on gender equity in health-sector leadership. Comparable in evidence-based advocacy and partnership with multilaterals on gender-norm change.

Others

• Investing in Women: Australian Government initiative that is GIWL's primary regional research partner/funder rather than a competitor. Comparable as a funder/convener in the Southeast Asia gender equality ecosystem and therefore relevant ecosystem context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@giwlanu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/giwl-anu
• Instagraminstagram.com/giwlanu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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