Our best option for a better future....invest in Girls
Wednesday 11 October, is International Day of the Girl. This is a day to reflect on how we can all better support the next generation of women to reach their full potential and to commit to gender equality which has proven time and time again to benefit families, communities and society.
Indigenous Women and Girls in Australia are some of the most marginalised and impoverished in the world. This weekend, I like many Australians will be voting YES to improve the lives of Indigenous Women, girls and communities. Voting YES in this referendum means
recognising 65,000 years of Indigenous culture for the first time in Australia’s 122-year-old constitution. It also includes listening to advice from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people about matters that affect their lives, so governments make better decisions and achieve better results for Indigenous health, education, employment and housing.
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The Barbie and Matilda effect – Is it here to stay?
This quarter saw big wins in gender financial equality. As at 30th June 2023, Australia's gender pay gap reached a historic low of 13 percent, marking a decrease from 13.3 percent at the beginning of the year. This was driven by an increase in average weekly wages for women by 2 per cent compared with a 1.6 per cent increase for men. More positively, the number of women appointed to ASX200 directorships increased to 36.4% up from 36% in March, whilst the timeframe to gender equality fell to 5.7 years, down from 5.8 years in the March quarter.
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Equality in Parental leave: smashing gender and parental stereotypes
The Guardian, reports that a woman’s earnings increase by 6.7% for every month of paternity leave taken by her husband, indicating that progressive parental leave can have a significant impact in encouraging equality.
The issue of achieving equality in parental leave and pay is an intractable issue facing the workforces of many developing and developed nations.
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More men named John run large companies than ALL women
Whilst many companies are striving towards gender equality and greater female representation in their workforce, the statistics on women undertaking key decision-making roles is still alarming.
In Australia, whilst women make up 51% of the workforce, women only make up 19% of CEOs, taking up 33% of key management positions and 33% of Board Chairs, highlighting the disparity with men.
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When Sport and Culture collide...great things happen
Sport and culture combined on the 23rd of October 2022 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the most amazing game of cricket - witnessed live by 90,000 and by millions globally.
Like life, it was a battle - joy, hardship, bad luck, good luck, tenacity, strength and resilience. We saw one of the greatest cricketer's in Virat Kohli grind against the odds to manufacture with his team a brilliant victory. It highlighted that perseverance, patience and belief in yourself conquers all.
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Narrowing the gender pay gap - a persistent problem
One would expect much to have been achieved in terms of equal pay and gender equality in 2022. Women across the globe have, over the years made their mark in the arenas of arts, sport, science, business and politics. However, the statistics on pay received by women in comparison to their male counterparts reveal that there is much to be done in championing equal pay in the 21st century. This extract looks at the issues of equal pay in lieu of International Equal Pay-day on the 18th September.
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Exploring Gender parity in Education
A new school year is usually a time when most children look forward to a new classroom, desk and a teacher. However, what if they have no classroom, no desk and no teacher? War and conflict can interrupt education, causing years of disruption and with girls being particularly more vulnerable than boys. Education is not patient and does not wait for those who are excluded or left behind. This article looks at the patterns in gender parity apparent in varying levels of education.
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Women in sport: Are we on the road to championing a level playing field?
Women's sport has recently captured global media attention. The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham featured record breaking female performances from over 70 countries. We enjoyed the English women's football team win at the European Championships in July, and witnessed the Tour de France feature a women's tour with significant media coverage and public interest.
These events are important and prompt us to ask about the rewards of sport and gender parity, “is it a fair game?”
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Closing the Gender Gap....
According to the World Economic Forum’s recent report it will take another 132 years to close the global gender gap! As recent crises compound, women's workforce outcomes are suffering and the risk of global gender parity regressing…
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Employee well-being in the time of a pandemic
Employee well-being, according to the International Labour Organisation, encompasses all aspects of a professional life - from the immediate physical surroundings to how the workers feel about their jobs, from the state of their mental and physical health to the financial and social drivers of performance. In the past two years, a simple question such as “How are you doing?” has become more of an enquiry into how one is coping. This article examines employee well-being and the corporate dilemma of managing staff, their mental health and public health obligations.
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A gender view on climate
Women and girls are likely to suffer more from climate change..
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