The Members Connect Series will provide a platform for women to engage in discussions concerning industry trends and pioneering programs, offering them unique insights and opportunities. The aim is to advance the careers of women and increase female participation in the sector.

Founder and Director of Franklin Women, Dr Melina Georgousakis says that members of Franklin Women bring diverse experiences and skills to the sector, so bringing them together through the Members Connect Series is a special opportunity. 

“By connecting these women outside of their day-to-day and linking them with innovative ecosystem partners, we are facilitating opportunities for them to thrive,” she said. 

Franklin Womn is a leading social enterprise championing women in the health and medical research fields.

The inaugural Members Connect event will be hosted by Organon, a the only global healthcare company of its size focused primarily on the health and wellbeing of women, at their Sydney office.

Managing Director of Organon ANZ, Nirelle Tolstoshev, says that the global healthcare company believes in this series’ ability to “drive real change” by investing in women in the sector. 

“Just 34 per cent of CEO and Head of Organisation roles in our biopharmaceutical sector are held by women – and whilst women tend to be well represented in middle management, they seem to be passed over for more senior opportunities,” says Tolstoshev. 

“At Organon, we believe that by investing in the bright pipeline of innovators and empowering these women through collaborations such as these, we can drive real change in this area.”

Following the Federal Government’s Senate Inquiry into Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and the recent announcement of an Australian-first inquiry into women’s pain in Victoria, the initiative’s goal to support women in the health and medical research sector is particularly critical. 

The Members Connect meetups are free to attend, and those who participate will be able to contribute to emerging women’s health priorities. Franklin Women and Organon say the events will “be instrumental in breaking down silos between different stakeholders and contributing to the improvement of health outcomes in communities”.

Interested members can register for Members Connect meetups here. 

The post Franklin Women and Organon launch meet up series for women in health and science appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Beaupark, a descendant of the Ngugi people of Quandamooka Country, is an associate lecturer and PhD student at the University of Wollongong. 

She studies the colour chemistry of natural dyes from Australian native trees such as Eucalyptus cinerea, and uses an Indigenist methodology involving yarning with other Indigenous natural dye artists and weavers. She will use the award to further her research.

“I’m looking specifically at the eucalyptus dye used to make artworks and how the colourant compounds interact with the dye mixture to fix onto silk fabric and wool,” she said.

“The aim of this project is to define how creative practice can build connections between chemistry and Indigenist ways of being and gaining knowledge.

“I hope the better integration of these knowledge systems will also allow us to better take care of Australia and create a sustainable future for textiles colourants and alternatives to mainstream artmaking materials.”

Hobbs, a Bidjara descendent, is an associate lecturer and PhD student at Griffith University. Her research focuses on the cultural significance of to Indigenous peoples of freshwater mussels, looking to provide new insights into the management of Australian freshwater ecosystems.

“Extinctions or population declines of mussels are likely to disproportionately affect Indigenous peoples who use them, yet relatively little has been published about mussels from Indigenous perspectives or regarding the cultural values of mussels,” Hobbs said.

“Current risk assessment methods and natural resource management tend to limit Indigenous involvement to cultural heritage objects or artefacts, while cultural values or uses of biota or landscapes are not explicitly addressed, despite their clear importance to Indigenous peoples.

“I hope this project will fill in some of the knowledge gaps in this area, within the broader context of my PhD research.”

Hobbs is due to travel to Canada this year to meet with other First Nations researchers.

The award aims to support the research of emerging Indigenous scientists and the growth of research networks and international knowledge exchange through visits to international centres of research. The award includes up to $20,000 and additional support to attend the Academy’s annual Science at the Shine Dome event.

This year the Australian Academy of Science is hosting a six-part public speaker series on the recognition of Indigenous knowledge in science. The series is being hosted by Senior Australian of the Year, Professor Tom Calma.

The post Michelle Hobbs and Stephanie Beaupark win major Indigenous science award appeared first on Women's Agenda.

The ATSE is set to receive $41.2 million over seven years to manage and deliver the program, titled ‘Elevate’, to address gender inequities in STEM by fostering more women-led industry-academia collaborations in applied research and business, growing skills of women in STEM and encouraging women into senior leadership.

ATSE will join various groups and stakeholders to identify sectors with the highest potential to support future growth industries.

ATSE’s CEO Kylie Walker believes the program will be a game-changer for creating a diverse and inclusive STEM ecosystem that will attract and retain women into STEM education and careers.

“The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering is delighted to partner with the Australian Government in implementing this game-changing and STEM workforce culture-shaping program,” Walker said in a statement. 

“Elevate is designed around three pillars – education and impact designed and led by women; skills building, supported by mentoring and networking; and leadership to increase the influence and profile of women in STEM.”

ATSE will partner with Industry Mentoring Network in STEM (IMNIS), Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN), Cooperative Research Australia, Cicada Innovations, FB Rice, DMTC Limited, Gemaker, Women in Leadership Development Program (WILD), Women in STEMM Australia (WiSA) and Science & Technology Australia to deliver the program. 

“As well as supporting a strong, thriving cohort of future women leaders and role models to enter and excel in Australian STEM jobs, Elevate will nurture a collaborative and innovative economy-building culture between Australian universities and Australian industry,” Walker continued.  

“Our goal is to immerse these trailblazing scholars in an expansive network of influential and inclusive research and industry leaders who will inspire and cultivate their future careers. We are thrilled to support their journey.” 

“The Academy is ideally positioned to implement this transformational program given its track record of nurturing a diverse and inclusive STEM sector and its strong connections between academia, industry and government.”

A statement released by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources explained that this round of Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (WISE) grants will offer $13 million in total funding support — making it the largest amount of funding to date, with grants of $500,000 to $1 million available for each grantee.

“Achieving full and equal opportunities for women and girls in STEM is our ongoing commitment,” the statement read. 

“During the process, ATSE will actively engage with a consortium of strategic partners representing large, medium and small STEM employers, applied STEM universities and organisations with deep expertise across Australia’s STEM ecosystem.”

Minister for Science and Technology, Melissa Price, said that while progress is being made, “…girls and women continue to be under-represented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics employment areas.”

“These grants and the scholarships will help boost the numbers of girls and women in this growing sector,” Minister Price said.

“We’ve seen throughout the COVID pandemic just how important the STEM sector is to protecting Australians, which is why the Morrison Government is committed to increasing women’s participation in this essential and growing field.”

“It’s also important that we see more women in leadership and decision-making positions, and the program is designed with this in mind.”

“The scholarships program will also focus on increasing cooperation between researchers, industry and students.”

The Ambassador for Women in STEM, Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith welcomed the news of the grants, saying in a statement that they would help create the system-wide change our nation needs to attract, retain and progress women in the STEM sector.

“The Government’s focus on programs that are already running and have proven effective through evaluation means we are investing in initiatives that can show evidence of their success,” Professor Harvey-Smith said.

“By upscaling such programs, the impact across the nation can be even greater.”

“Alongside WISE, industry scholarships will support the progression and retention of women, creating a pipeline of women STEM leaders.” 

More information about these programs and grants can be found here. 

The post Elevate: ATSE selected as sole provider of $41 million STEM scholarship program for women appeared first on Women's Agenda.

One in five.

It’s disturbing to think about anyone receiving such threats in any context at all.

But it’s especially disturbing to consider that this is happening particularly in science – a sector that aims to understand our world better and has been absolutely pivotal in saving lives in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A sector that provides evidence, information and advice that sometimes people just don’t want to hear but will ultimately benefit from – with scientists taking such information to the media in order to better communicate and share what they’ve learnt, to better educate the public on what they can do to prepare or protect themselves.

According to the survey by the Australian Science Media Centre, that was replicated then in the journal Nature for an international response, 31 of the 50 scientists questioned in Australia said they had received trolling following media interviews.

Director of news at ASMC Lyndal Byford described the findings as indicating “pandemic levels of abuse”, saying the experience of public appearances that aimed to better educate the public on COVID-19 has made them “think twice about ever appearing in the media again”.

Internationally with 321 scientists surveyed across the UK, Germany, Canada, Taiwan and New Zealand thanks to the leading scientific journal Nature getting involved in the project, 22% reported receiving threats of physical or sexual violence, while 15% reported death threats.

“Scientists are facing pandemic levels of abuse for simply trying to help us all wrap our heads around COVID-19,” she said.

Byford said that if scientists stop talking to the media, “all of us will be worst off as a result.”

The surveys found these threats take a significant toll on the mental health of such experts, while 40% of Australian scientists and 60% of international scientists said their experiences had impacted their willingness to speak to the media again in the future.

But it’s not just COVID-19 that brings out the threats: scientists in these surveys reported receiving such threats for years, even up to a decade for one scientist. They described a “near-continuous flow of hate mail”. Scientists say it’s also not just social media or digital. They’re having letters and other things posted to their home addresses, and have even experienced threats in person – a consequence of building up a public profile.

Margaret Hellard (pictured at top of page), deputy director of the Burnet Institute, said that too often threats across social media are easily dismissed, but they can have a huge impact on people’s lives, especially for women. She said she’s reported the death threats she received to the police, to help send a message – especially to young women – that it’s not ok.

“Whilst not personally feeling anxious I decided to make a stand on behalf of the younger female researchers at our Institute,” she said.  “When talking with younger female staff, a number said they were reluctant to post or put information online or to engage in discussions/debate in the press due to the trolling that immediately follows and feeling threatened. For me, this was a terrible thing.

“I know we are sometimes instructed to ignore trolling and threats but I disagree. I think we should be reporting these activities to the police (and ensuring they follow it up which they did in my situation) and calling it out in multiple forums.”  

Earlier this week, we published finings from a different study noting the exhaustion scientists are feeling right now, with one in five reporting that they’re thinking about leaving the sector altogether.

Sadly, it’s not hard to see the myriad of factors contributing to such fatigue.

Not only are they contending with fierce competition for research grants (as we reported on across medical research this week), alongside laboratory closures during lockdowns and a system of career rewards that prioritise publishing papers and other things that mean career breaks and periods of part time work can hinder ‘success’, scientists are also dealing with public backlash when attempting to communicate their expertise. The backlash that can become threats of abuse and death threats.

So for those looking to support a scientist, what can you do? Byford suggests that if you have learnt more about COVID-19 due to a scientist, then consider make a deliberate attempt to thank them.

“Why not write a kind or encouraging comment on the news story or on the social media pages,” she recommended.

“If you see someone being trolled, ask if they need help and listen to their concerns.”

The post ‘Pandemic levels of abuse’: What scientists face while aiming to educate the public appeared first on Women's Agenda.

The large annual survey of professional scientists, undertaken in June 2021, showed that fatigue is climbing and morale dropping among our country’s scientists, as job losses and insecure work have stretched people to the brink during the pandemic.

The survey found that one in five scientists plan to leave the profession altogether over the next few years, while one in four scientists are on fixed-term contracts averaging just 18 months in length, highlighting some serious concerns regarding the future of talent in this vital sector across Australia.

These risks come following a massive jump in scientists reporting that fatigue has risen over the past year, up from 54.6% in 2020 to 71.6% in 2021. Meanwhile, 62.5& of scientists surveyed said morale fell in their workplace in the last year, up from 45.8% the previous year.

There are further challenges facing women in science, with this survey finding there’s a 17% gender pay gap between male and female salaries.

STA chief executive Misha Schubert said this year’s Federal budget will be legacy-defining for the future of science in Australia, given the risks currently facing the sector.

“There’s a huge risk that many more of our brilliant scientists will hit breaking point and just walk away if we don’t fix this broken system of insecure work,” she said.

“We need stronger investment in science such as a $2.4 billion Research Translation Fund and much greater job security for scientists to avert a disastrous loss of talent and pursue a science-led recovery.”

The survey found that a full-time scientist in Australia is paid a base salary of just under $119,000 a year, with a total package of roughly $135,000.

However, wage growth has decelerated in the last year and is now well below the cost of living. Currently, roughly one in four scientists are on average, signed up to fixed contracts of eighteen months.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Science & Technology Australia (@science_aus)

Less than half the scientists surveyed said they were satisfied with their current level of pay while over one-third were dissatisfied. 

Almost two-thirds of respondents said their morale has been lower in the last year than the previous year.

Both Professional Scientists Australia and STA, who in total represent more than 90,000 science and technical professionals, say these results reveal more than the effects of COVID-19 pressures alone.

Schubert believes the federal government can address the issue with secure, long-term funding and better job security in public institutions, while employers should put science careers on a more secure footing.

In Australia, a mere 1.79 percent of GDP is dedicated to research and development.

Over the last ten years, the rate has fallen steadily and is now below the global average for advanced economies — highlighting just where other advanced economies are moving to invest heavily in research and development.  

Read the full survey here.

The post The strain of fatigue & insecurity is putting science at risk in Australia appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Thomas is currently conducting clinical trials, which are presenting unique challenges. She insists however that we have an exciting opportunity in Australia. 

“We are unique in the world with our ability to conduct world-class trials in Australia and a credible and meaningful footprint in the world’s biggest cannabis market,” she explains. “Our regulatory environment allows us to generate the clinical data that is lacking from medicinal cannabis and that will empower our patients and prescribers to know more about products, when to use them, how much to use and for what specific conditions.”

“I absolutely love that my role at Zelira allows me to help patients who have exhausted other treatment options by contributing important research and data that will provide them, and their treating doctors, with much-needed evidence to show medicinal cannabis can be an effective solution.”

Dr Thomas believes that the largest problem in medicinal cannabis in Western countries with similar regulatory frameworks as Australia is providing clinical evidence that supports doctors in deciding to prescribe a patient a medicinal cannabis product. 

“They need research so that they know what product to prescribe and what dose is required to help which patients,” she explains. “Having people with the STEM training and a passion for making a difference is the only way to achieve this.”

The young scientist was one of three children, growing up in Perth to parents who worked in finance and IT. She went to a Montessori primary school and spent a lot of time doing science and maths schoolwork —which is where her love for science began, she says.

In 2005, she undertook one year of her PhD at the Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair with Prof Roger Barker who saw Parkinson’s patients in the clinics and undertook laboratory research in the labs.

“I found it inspirational working in a multidisciplinary team with a clear connection between laboratory research and improving patient outcomes,” Dr Thomas says. “Upon returning to Perth, a very close family friend was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s and I remember thinking that I could do things a bit differently to really help make a difference.”

Thomas joined Zelira two years ago with more than 20 years’ of experience across academia, research governance and government health policy work.

Her academic achievements range from being one of only two neuroscience Australian Research Council Discovery grants in 2005 to conduct Parkinson’s research, founding Edith Cowan Uni’s Parkinson’s Centre (ParkC), twice receiving a Vice Chancellors Award for Excellence at ECU and conducting research at Cambridge University.

Zelira’s Perth-based Vice Chairman Harry Karelis believes women like Dr Thomas will ensure a better future for those requiring alternative health solutions.

“I challenge you to find someone like Meghan working in the medicinal cannabis sector in Australia,” he said. “There would not be too many medicinal cannabis companies in Australia who employ someone with a PhD or with the level of scientific experience that Meghan has. She gets the job done and she’s smart.”

The post Meet the woman leading Australia’s medicinal cannabis research appeared first on Women's Agenda.

These women, from across the globe, are redefining what we know about health and science. From COVID-19 vaccine research, to Indigenous health and pushing for awareness of the health risks of climate change, the women we’ve selected here are resetting the agenda, and improving outcomes for people around the world.

Don’t forget to check out our first 50 women—across all industries—released on Monday.

Dr Anna Blakney 

An assistant professor in UBC’s Michael Smith Laboratories, Blakney has spent the past few months informing people about COVID-19 vaccines through social media platform TikTok. “It may seem like a silly idea but it’s actually turned out to be a powerful way to show people what I do in the lab and answer any questions they may have about vaccines,” says Blakney. Before transferring to UBC in January, Blakney had worked at Imperial College London, where she contributed to a COVID-19 vaccine based on the self-amplifying RNA platform. This form of vaccine technology is similar to those used by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, except it is able to replicate itself in cells so patients can receive a lower dose.

Dr. Mina Hoorfar 

Has played a key role in research during the past 12 months, heading up a  team which seeks to develop a two-in-one COVID-19 viral and immune detection platform. “There is a worldwide diagnostic gap for COVID-19 testing that is fast, reliable and affordable,” Dr. Hoorfar says. “Through our work, we are aiming to develop a wearable sensor that can rapidly detect an immune response to COVID-19 within hours of infection.”

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

Hailing from Freetown, Sierra Leone, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr has spent her life as an activist. She’s campaigned against blood diamonds, co-founded a charity to support disadvantaged youth and served as a director at the National Ebola Response Centre. Now, she’s turned her focus to a new pursuit aimed at tackling climate change. As part of the “Transform Freetown” initiative, Aki-Sawyerr is on a mission to “green the city”, planting 1 million trees by the end of 2022 and increasing vegetation in the capital by 50 percent. So far, 250,000 trees have been planted, with Aki-Sawyerr successfully rallying community members to get involved and champion climate change awareness and meaningful action. 

Professor Ngiare Brown

The first identified Aboriginal medical graduate from NSW in Australia, Professor Ngiare Brown, a proud Yuin woman, is a founding member of the Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors’ Congress. She is also  the founder of a not-for-profit organisation, Ngaoara, which works with Indigneous children affected by trauma. Last year, she was finalist in the NSW Aboriginal woman of the year award. 

Dr Kizzmekia Corbett

This viral immunologist caught the attention of the world in 2020, when it was announced she would lead a team of researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the US, working on a vaccine for COVID-19. She is now responsible for the development of the Moderna vaccine. Referring to Corbett, Dr Anthony Fauci said: “The vaccine you are going to be taking was developed by an African American woman and that is just a fact.”

Vandana Shiva

Indian scholar, environmental activist, and a world-acclaimed author Vandana Shiva has long been recognised as a leader in the field of green living in a country over-burdened by pollution. She’s also a fierce champion of Ecofeminism, a political theory which advocates for a collaborative environmental society whereby women are considered equal and active members. She famously said “We are either going to have a future where women lead the way to make peace with the Earth or we are not going to have a human future at all.”

Dr Wendy Page

Named the Northern Territory’s Australian of the Year in 2021, Dr Wendy Page has worked to eliminate a parasitic roundworm prevalent in Aboriginal communities across Northern Australia. She set up the first national workshop for strongyloidiasis, and has been instrumental in reducing the prevalence of the disease in East Arnhem Land communities. She is also a passionate mentor of young doctors. 

Dharmica Mistry

A scientist and entrepreneur, Dharmica Mistry made a groundbreaking scientific discovery that has the potential to revolutionise the way breast cancer is detected. She has since co-founded BCAL diagnostics, a bio tech company that’s developing her revolutionary discovery, in order to save millions of lives.

Mary Alalo

Solomon Islander, Mary Alalo knows firsthand the threat of climate change, having witnessed sea level rise and other climate related disasters for decades. She turned her focus to policy, working with the Australian Government and Oxfam before joining the World Bank’s Community Resilience to Climate and Disaster Risk Project (CRISP) as Project Coordinator. Her role has been to help vulnerable communities (like her own) manage the impacts of climate change and disaster risk. She is a champion of women in these regions, and has been vocal about the impacts the pandemic has posed to them.

Professor Sarah Gilbert

The lead researcher on the Oxford vaccine team, Professor Sarah Gilbert has been instrumental in the global push for the development of COVID-19 vaccines. The professor of vaccinology played a major role in the success of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which has been approved for use in many countries. She was recently recognised with the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce’ Albert Medal.

The post Women resetting the global agenda in health and science in 2021 appeared first on Women's Agenda.

The study, titled, “A scientist like me: demographic analysis of biology textbooks reveals both progress and long-term lags” was published on The Royal Society Journal. It revealed 962 names in the textbooks were of men, and 145 scientists were women, representing a 1:7 ratio of women to men. That is seven men for every woman scientist.

Even more startling in their findings was the almost entire erasure of women who were BIPOC in the textbooks. In fact, not one single black woman was represented across any textbooks that were analysed. A mere 6.7 percent of scientists were from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.

The researchers believe the numbers don’t reflect the demographic population of biology students in the US, and may be a contributing factor to the greater challenges women face in these fields.

Assessing the binary gender and race of featured scientists in textbooks is critical to identifying the subtle ways women and BIPOC individuals might find it harder to see themselves in the work they do.

Dr Cissy Ballen of Auburn University in Alabama was one of the lead researchers of the study. She told BBC’s Environment correspondent Helen Briggs that the names portrayed in the textbooks are not representative of their target audience, particularly among Asian and Hispanic women. She also explained that previous research has shown the importance of diverse, relatable role models in science.

“Not to be able to see anyone like them in these kinds of fundamental textbooks that they’re using, I think it would have a really negative effect,” she said.

Ballen’s team in Alabama conduct studies that reveal causes and consequences of gaps in science literacy, and highlight how educators can design their courses to minimise barriers to success.

Her team’s study also found that women scientists had higher numbers of representation in more contemporary textbooks than older textbooks. Textbooks published between 1900 and 1999 featured 55 women scientists, whereas textbooks published between 2000 to 2018 featured 87 women scientists.

The reason for these increasing figures may be due to either greater recognition of women scientists or an increase in the number of women in the field. Or both.

Representation of the number of racially diverse names also shifted over time, though the shift is so small it feels negligible. In the textbooks published between 1900 and 1999, 19 scientists of colour were named- a mere 3% of all featured scientists. Between 2000 and 2018, textbooks featured 27 scientists of colour – 8% of all featured scientists.

The researchers, which also included Sara Wood, Marjorie Weber and Ash Zemenick, said in their paper that textbooks should balance “an accurate portrayal of history while showcasing contemporary science that reflects a diverse population of learners.”

If these trends continue, the researchers believe it will be centuries before textbooks match the diversity of their readers in the US. In fact, based on their extrapolations, they predict that female representation in textbooks will reflect the general population in roughly a decade’s time, but will not reflect biology students for another 18 years.

Other estimates reveal more distressing realities.

“If textbook citations from Black/African American scientists continue at the same rate, it will take over 1000 years to reflect the general population in the United States (14%), and nearly 500 years to reflect the biology student population – that’s 7.7 percent,” they stated. 

The post The alarming erasure of black women in science textbooks appeared first on Women's Agenda.

The appointment followed an incredibly successful career. She obtained a PhD at the age of just 26, already had numerous patents to her name, had written hundreds of scientific papers and won numerous awards in physics. She was and still is world-renowned for her work in photonics.

So when she offered some career advice during her address at the National Press Club on Wednesday, we had to share it. Especially when that advice included how she’s worked flexibly, part time and remotely — all while managing massive responsibilities and an unstoppable passion for science.

Monro covered a huge range of topics during her speech and spoke of how science brings people together and harnesses ideas to solve society’s greatest challenges.

She said STEM skills are the skills we most need to encourage in the next generation.

“If we have a future where our decision-makers and our leaders of industry have been trained in STEM skills, we will be able to make better decisions,” she said.

And she shared that challenges facing the university sector are currently keeping her up at night, especially shortfalls in funding for research.

On COVID-19, she said her scientists and experts have been contributing to the whole of government effort on modeling the pandemic. She believes we will inevitably see a second of third wave outbreak due to the difficult decisions that need to be made on easing restrictions, but added that one of the best response techniques will be a “pulse” one — the taps turn on, and then they turn off where needed.

“The challenge for us is to understand that might happen and that doesn’t mean disaster or that we’ve failed,” she said. “That comes back to why we need to have more people with an understanding of data and evidence.”

She also spoke about the value of shared goals and collaboration.

“What I’ve learnt throughout my whole career is that if you know the problem you’re trying to solve, everyone can be energised.”

Professor Monro originally had aspirations to be a musician as a child — and she still speaks about the value of music and says her three children are avid musicians — but a physics teacher opened her eyes up to the options in science.

“Suddenly I could see my love of creating, composing, building things, was something I could do through science.

“I could see that maths was the language of the universe and that physics was the way of asking questions about that universe, and creativity was alive in science.”

Press Club moderator and ABC presented Sabra Lane pulled from a quote Professor Monro shared in Cosmos a number of years back to help explain to the audience the juggle the now Chief Defence Scientist has managed at home.

“If I can manage a team of 30 people remotely, dealing with multiple industry requests and grants and post-docs and students, have a two-year-old at home, be expressing milk for two premature twins and dealing with acute reflux (throwing up half of what they ate for 11 months), and the sleep deprivation, and the fact you get one twin to sleep the other one wakes up, that you’ve then got 20 emails to answer, and the minister wants to speak to you. If you can do that, you can do anything.”

Asked what her best advice would be to bosses who are trying to support women juggling big careers with small kids, Professor Monro said they should recognise what women can do and be flexible around how they do it.

She added that the current COVID-19 working arrangements are pushing us as a society to recognise the importance of delivery and outcomes over being physically present.

And she shared her experiences working four days a week after returning from maternity leave, when a manager agreed to call it “full time.”

“It wasn’t really about money it was about recognition, the recognition that you can deliver in a flexible way. Having that recognised gave me so much energy and made me want to give back.

“It’s about flexibility,” she said, when pressed for more advice. “It’s about recognizing the delivery, regardless of how it’s delivered, and also it’s about as an individual not being too hard on yourself. Re-prioritize on the fly and only worry about what you can control.”

Asked about her best advice to her twenty year old self, Professor Munro said she’d remind herself that passion for the subject will support your confidence, and also that it’s ok to be vulnerable and ask questions.

“[I would tell her to] not let the idea that science is hard, to put you off,” she said.

The post Professor Tanya Monro has managed remote teams while caring for small kids at home, the now Chief Defence Scientist says flexibility & passion are key appeared first on Women's Agenda.

The post Thousands of job losses, billions in lost revenue: coronavirus will hit Australia’s research capacity harder than the GFC appeared first on Women's Agenda.

Women in STEM have come a long way, but there are stereotypes to be busted, she writes in this piece adapted from her recent Catalysing Change speech. 

Has the needle shifted on gender equality in STEM in the past decade? Yes, in many respects there’s been a noticeable change for the better.

We have an unprecedented focus on reducing the gender pay gap and campaigns to get more girls into STEM. We have also placed a spotlight on organisational cultures to redress inequities and help women advance in their chosen careers and progress into decision making roles.

But the dial hasn’t moved enough in terms of busting stereotypes — by any means. Let me tell you a story to illustrate the point.

In 2016, I was being collected by a driver to attend an awards ceremony, at which I was a finalist. The car arrived, the driver opened the back-seat door and I got in. After a while, I was concerned as the driver never returned.

When I saw him pacing up and down the footpath, I wound down the window and asked if he was alright. He said, “Yes, I’m just waiting for the Professor”. I explained I was “the Professor”. He replied, “I was expecting your husband”. The driver proceeded to drive me to the event while I delivered gender inequality and unconscious bias training 101…. enroute.

Over the years, I have shared this anecdote at a range of public events to illustrate how our culture and stereotypes lag behind progress. When I shared the story with a journalist, who thought it was terrific, she then proceeded to ask me at the end of the interview what title she should give me … Ms. or Mrs.? “Professor!” I replied.

The story has been picked up by media and social media world-wide and nicknamed ‘Waiting for the Professor’. I have gone to many gender equality events and conference and heard similar stories from others.

Now, some four years later, ‘I’m back’ … with a sequel.

I recently flew to Adelaide for the Australian Academy of Science national gender equality conference. As I descended down the escalator at the airport, I saw the driver holding a sign with “Rudd” on it. I caught his eye and signalled that it was me he was picking up.

The drive turned his side to me and continued holding the sign looking at the escalator. I then walked up to him and said “that’s me” pointing to the sign. He replied, “yeah sure, you’re Kevin Rudd”. The driver, again, purposely turned his side/ back to me and continued to hold the sign facing the escalator. I was with a male colleague, who at this point was gobsmacked.

I went to the baggage claim area to collect my suitcase. I watched the driver all this time, who continued to hold the sign up looking at the escalator. I wheeled my suitcase towards him and approached him and said again “You are here for me; I’m Professor Rudd”.

He replied: “I was waiting for a man”.

I went with the driver to the car and the whole journey to the hotel was just as disgraceful. He harangued me (including when I was on the phone on work calls), saying the problem was with my Christian name – “see (pointing to the manifesto) – Cobie is a man’s name, we all just know of Kobe Bryant”…. “I was expecting a man” … “it’s your fault, you didn’t approach me properly”.

When we got to the hotel, he said “you’re never going to forgive me, are you”. Probably not.

It is true that Australian women hold fewer academic positions than men at, or above, the level of senior lecturer. We’ve seen slow increases at the professorial level with the proportion of female professors increasing from 24.3% in 2012 to 27.3% in 2016 (Universities Australia). It’s not that impressive really, at only just above one quarter.

As we approach International Women’s Day #IWD2020 with the theme #EachforEqual, I think it’s worth highlighting what that means: it’s everybody’s business. Everybody has a role to play across sectors and industries. It’s not just about women. Developing a more inclusive culture means men have a clear and critical role to play. Addressing their unconscious bias and traditional stereotyping are game changers.

As for me, I’m also “waiting for the Professor”….as in I am waiting for a societal response where a new generation of women progress at the same rate or faster than their male counterparts and take their equal place among the highest ranks of our higher education institutions.

Professor Cobie Rudd is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Strategic Partnerships) and Vice-President at Edith Cowan University.

Professor Rudd holds the Edith Cowan University (ECU) portfolio for institutional accreditation in gender equality.  As part of this, she led the University to achieving Bronze accreditation in the inaugural pilot of the Athena SWAN Charter in Australia, as one of the first 11 universities nationally to achieve this award. As well, in 2019, ECU has been ranked 6^th in the world for gender equality in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings, and in 2020 has been awarded the Workplace Gender Equality Agency Citation as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality for the fourth successive year; the only university in WA to be recognised with this Citation.

Professor Rudd has over 30 years of experience across sectors and has led a diverse range of capacity-building and research projects on a national scale, and also held senior policy research and advisory roles for both state and commonwealth governments. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has served on over 13 boards of governance.

The post ‘I’m waiting for the professor?’ Stereotypes still need busting for women in STEM appeared first on Women's Agenda.

It’s hard for women to succeed in science. Our research shows it’s even harder for women of colour.

We interviewed women of colour working in scientific and technical organisations across Australia about their experiences. As well as direct discrimination, they face a barrage of brief, everyday racial slights and indignities that one described as “death by a thousand cuts”.

In addition, we found women of colour often hesitate to tackle these affronts themselves as they are wary their claims will be doubted and they will be perceived as “too emotional”.

However, there’s plenty that white people and those in positions of authority can do to improve the situation.

Looking from all angles

In Australia, there are many programs and policy initiatives that address the barriers faced by women in scientific and technical fields. Without meaning to, these efforts often disproportionately benefit white women.

Our research comes after a recent US survey of women in astronomy and planetary science that revealed women of colour experience the most hostile workplace environment of any group and are at greater risk of gender and racial harassment.

As sociologists, we argue that to describe women’s experiences in the workplace, we need to take an intersectional approach – one that traces the interconnections between gender, race, class, age, sexuality, ability and other features of identity.

What do women of colour say about their experiences?

In our study of the experiences of 30 women of colour in Australian scientific and technical organisations, we found that racial microaggressions are a common experience.

Racial microaggressions are the brief, everyday verbal, behavioural, and environmental racial slights and indignities experienced by people of colour. The cumulative effect of these seemingly minor events has a devastating impact.

Some women described feeling invisible, and having to work hard to overcome preconceptions. These experiences are likely to resonate with many white women as well. As Shankari (53, born in India) noted, “getting to the same table takes so much effort”.

However, women of colour also face microaggressions based on their racial or cultural background. For instance, Gabbie (44, born in the UK) said, “as a woman you have to be better than your male counterparts and as a woman of colour you have to be even better than your white female counterparts”.

You can really start to feel like you’re not valued because […] it’s the tenth time your manager said, ‘Oh, don’t worry about it, you’re stressing too much’ […] And it makes you home in on yourself as if there’s something wrong with you and you almost start – I don’t know – gaslighting yourself. (Astrid, 28, born in Australia)

Women of colour also have to manage their (white) colleagues in a non-threatening manner to create change.

It’s like a constant managing up […] just fitting in and not being difficult, quietly getting your point across, slowly over time. (Kelly, 35, born in South Africa)

Why do these experiences matter?

Microaggressions are subtle and often unintended, making them difficult to recognise and confront. They can be verbal (such as asking “Where are you from?”), behavioural (such as a white woman avoiding getting in a lift with an African man) or environmental (such as all buildings in a university being named after rich white men).

People of colour may describe a feeling that “something is not right”. In contrast, white people often sincerely believe they have acted in good faith, leading them to perceive people of colour as oversensitive. So identifying and responding to racial microaggressions is fraught.

What can white people do to change the situation?

White people hold the bulk of leadership positions in scientific and technical organisations. They are best positioned to bring about change, yet they are often the least likely to recognise microaggressions.

Here’s what white people can do:

• listen to what people of colour say about their experiences
• learn to recognise racial microaggressions and take action when you see them. Being passive won’t help
• confront your own prejudices and biases. For example, white scientists must question the common belief that anyone can succeed in science as long as they work hard
• white people tend to see other white people as more credible. So amplify the concerns of women of colour
• follow women of colour rather than trying to lead.

Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. It’s a day to highlight the contributions of women and girls in science – and to remember that gendered barriers aren’t the only ones many women must overcome.

Meredith Nash, Associate Professor in Sociology, University of Tasmania and Robyn Moore, Casual academic, School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The post ‘Death by a thousand cuts’: Women of colour in science face a subtly hostile work environment appeared first on Women's Agenda.