At an e-meeting in October 2016 the Council has discussed and agreed upon a Policy on Equity and Diversity, which begins by noting “The Australian Optical Society (AOS) is committed to the principles of equity and diversity. These principles are integral to our desire to promote excellence and fairness, and to encourage interest in optics across the community.” and stating “conferences and events associated with the AOS must also be run according to these principles.”. Similar policies have been adopted by other professional societies. Further details can be found at Equity and Diversity Policy