This week’s incident involving Channel Nine’s altered image of Animal Justice MP Georgie Purcell, is a poignant illustration (AI generated of course!) of the complex interplay between corporate actions and proclaimed values.

Whilst we can look at it and say this incident involves the public mistreatment of a woman in politics (in her workplace), it raises very valid concerns about the incongruity between actions and principles.

Then there is Channel Nine’s co-owned digital platform Future Women – which recently received $8.7 million in government funding to launch their program to help women in upskilling, finding and being coached in the workforce.

Channel Nine’s photoshopping of a female politician’s image – with the apology blaming “the robots in AI did it”, adds complexity to the debate. Despite having four women on its board, the incident raises questions about the incongruity between actions and principles. The fact that Channel Nine co-owns Future Women, a platform dedicated to empowering women, further underscores the need to scrutinise one’s corporate practices.

How can a company engage in hegemonic practices while simultaneously offering products that endorse diverse ideals? 

Some years ago now, parent company Unilever was faced with this problem. This successful case study serves as a compelling solutions-based good news story.

Unilever had two brands with very different values. It was supporting both the Dove “Real Beauty” brand and also the controversial Lynx brand which was famous for campaigns such as “Dirty Balls” and “Fallen Angels”.

Unilever seemingly promoted women’s self-esteem while perpetuating and reinforcing negative “dumb female and powerful man” stereotypes. As a result, attention was drawn to Unilever’s diverse brand portfolio and the paradox it reflected. The growing awareness among consumers about corporate practices and values, potentially jeopardised both the company’s and brand’s reputations.

Alas, this was a turning point for Unilever to walk the talk and stay consistent. And the directive came from the top of the company.

Proclaimed values vs. actual practices?

To bridge the gap between proclaimed values and actual practices, companies can make tangible changes with gender-intelligent decisions.

We have seen time after time that simple, yet impactful measures include fostering diverse leadership from the boardroom to the executive leaders, as well as ensuring gender basic hygiene such as HR-based solutions of equal pay, parental leave policies and yes- the mea culpa of transparently addressing controversies. 

Now, more than ever, companies can leverage their influential positions to challenge societal norms and not perpetuate them. 

Allowing these contradictions to go unnoticed poses significant risks. Not only does it erode the trust of consumers who increasingly demand authenticity and alignment between corporate messaging and actions but turning a blind eye propagates harmful stereotypes and undermines progress towards a more inclusive society ( you know… meeting the needs of a wider audience or culture).

Individuals and companies risk losing relevance and credibility if they fail to address the divergence between their professed values and actual conduct.

As the world strives towards gender-equal and gender-intelligent commercial practices, addressing inconsistencies within parent companies becomes imperative. 

Board directors must fulfil their duties by ensuring concrete actions that reflect a genuine commitment to gender intelligence, avoiding the mere appearance of such values without addressing internal contradictions.

Balancing this duality requires companies to navigate the complex interplay between their products, practices, and not to mention the commercial gains to be had.

Easy wins lie in concrete actions that reflect a genuine commitment to gender equality, ensuring that the company lives its values from the inside out – a critical factor in talent attraction and retention.

It’s a long road but the good news is some roadmaps can take us there.

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Growing up, sport was a presence in the background of her life– played on TVs in the home or at bars– but it wasn’t until she got older that it began to emerge as an avenue of connection to other people. 

“In the backdrop of when I grew up– which was post 9/11– there were things that you could talk about with people that kind of became like a passport for your social interactions,” says Hussain.

“[Sports-related topics] were humanising and built connections with other people, where perhaps without those things, you would feel very isolated.”

It was after this realisation that she says she began to pay more attention to the current events of the sporting world, particularly cricket.

“I went to the cricket all the time with my community as a young person, so I just had that understanding and knowledge,” she said. “And when I spoke about sports, it just kind of melted away whatever barriers were between me and the rest of the world.”

As the Program Founder of her own consulting organisation Good.Human and a Board Member at the Victoria Women’s Trust, Hussain has graced the sports sector for over ten years, championing inclusion and diversity. She’s a respected media commentator and often speaks to organisations and community groups, sharing her experiences in the sector as a Muslim-Indian woman. 

Most recently, the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation for the Change Our Game movement selected Hussain to join a group of seven other women ambassadors raising awareness on key issues for women in sport. 

Between now and International Women’s Day 2024, she will be using this platform to foster belonging through sport and media, specifically with culturally and linguistically diverse women.

“It’s humbling to be an ambassador,” Hussian says. “Especially because I’m not an athlete.”

“I sort of inhabit this space in sport, where I represent a voice [for] non-athletes, kind of representative of the traditional sports fan or administrator.”

“So to be an ambassador in the capacity that I am representing people who aren’t traditionally in sport is very, very meaningful, and hopefully has an impact.”

Through her continued advocacy, Hussain says she wants to encourage and listen to other Muslim women and women of colour interested in getting involved in sport. 

“What I would love to see– and I think it’s starting to happen now– is conversations and opportunities and programs that wrap around cultures and communities to address their needs rather than kind of asking communities into existing avenues to participate in sport,” she explains.

And while Hussain does see change happening, it’s not always as meaningful as it has the potential to be. 

“That was really why I wanted to be part of this ambassador program,” she says. “To continue to hold that space quite visibly and show it is possible to inhabit.”

“We can be our full selves, with our cultural identities and religious identities and turn up in public spaces– particularly ones that are so important to the national psyche like sport.”

Hussain would love to see more meaningful diversity in positions of power in the sporting world, where there’s “agency and ability to actually impact the system”. 

Sport, she says, “has this incredible ability to bring people together, to remove those exclusionary barriers and create a level playing field”. 

While that doesn’t discount the fact that there’s been historical systemic barriers often counteracting this inclusion, Hussain notes that through her advocacy work, she often frames the conversation in a way that most sports-minded people can relate to: what’s fair or not fair. 

“I think there’s a natural feeling of fairness,” she says. “Sport is all about fairness.”

“If you’re best on the ground, it doesn’t matter where you’ve come from.”

Between now and International Women’s Day 2024, Change Our Game Ambassadors will use their platform to help drive change and raise awareness on key issues and barriers for women in sport. The Change Our Game series is put on by the Office of Women in Sport and Recreation. Be sure to follow the Ambassadors’ journeys through @ChangeOurGame on socials.

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Around 80 journalists gathered at the Ultimo office and demanded to meet with the ABC’s managing director, David Anderson, following reports that he made the final call to sack broadcaster, columnist and presenter Antoinette Lattouf in December last year.

A spokesperson from the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) told Women’s Agenda the journalists’ union backs the ABC journalists’ demands for answers from Anderson, and all management at the national broadcaster, on why journalists from culturally diverse backgrounds are being treated this way.

“Journalists must be free to report on issues without fear of being reprimanded by their employer when media bosses face outside pressures from unaccountable lobby groups, politicians and big business,” the MEAA spokesperson said.

“Journalists at the ABC are working very hard to tell difficult stories, ethically or without fear or favour, and to be accountable to the public they work for, but they are being let down by management who are capitulating to external pressures.”

#MEAAmedia members at the ABC today called on managing director David Anderson to urgently meet with staff and address growing concerns about outside interference, culturally unsafe management practices and to stand up for journalism without fear or favour. #PressFreedom… pic.twitter.com/LHomCActtu

— MEAA (@withMEAA) January 16, 2024

On Tuesday, The Sydney Morning Herald reported on leaked messages in a WhatsApp group chat, showing how members of Lawyers for Israel conducted a coordinated letter-writing campaign, targeted at sacking Antoinette Lattouf from her short-term employment with ABC Radio Sydney.

The people in the group chat in December last year questioned why the ABC was “allowing this woman to host a radio show” and called on the lawyers to “stamp it out” by writing letters to ABC Chair Ita Buttrose.

According to the leaked messages, Buttrose responded to seven of the letters that the pro-Israel lobbyists sent, saying the matter would be dealt with.

“Management should be supporting staff when they come under external attack or criticism to ensure that the public’s trust in the ABC to report without fear or favour can be maintained,” the MEAA spokesperson told Women’s Agenda.

“Our priority is for David Anderson to come out of his office and engage with our members about how the ABC deals with external criticism and attacks and supports its staff.

“No ultimatum has been issued but clearly some staff feel so strongly about these issues that they are considering further action if they are not resolved satisfactorily.”

Women’s Agenda has reached out to the ABC for comment.

What happened?

Antoinette Lattouf was contracted to work for five days hosting the morning slot on ABC Radio Sydney. However, according to the ABC, she was fired two days into the gig for sharing a post from the Human Rights Watch, alleging Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war.

Last week, Lattouf announced she would be expanding her complaint with the Fair Work Commission over her sacking, alleging her employment was terminated not just for her political opinion, but also because of her race.

“Despite the ABC’s rhetoric about diversity and inclusion, it is currently an unsafe workplace for journalists who are people of colour,” she said in a statement.

“I’m aware of a number of diverse journalists who have either resigned or are on the brink of resigning because they are unfairly scrutinised, don’t believe their employer will back them and fear they will be the next to be thrown under the bus.”

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A post shared by ANTOINETTE • LATTOUF (@antoinette_lattouf)

Lattouf will be working with high-profile employment compensation lawyer Josh Bornstein, as the case is expected to begin proceedings on January 18.

“Since October 7 and the ensuing conflict in the Middle East, it has become notorious in the media industry that Arab and Muslim journalists are being intimidated, censored and sacked,” Bornstein said.

“In this case we will show that the ABC has not sacked white journalists for expressing political opinion, even where those journalists worked in news and current affairs. Antoinette’s role at the ABC was not a news or current affairs role.”

On ABC Radio Sydney this morning, Kenneth Roth, the former executive director of Human Rights Watch, said the ABC had made a mistake in terminating her employment.

He said the post she shared on her social media, which ABC said was “controversial”, was completely “factual”.

“ABC would be living in a different era if they prohibited their journalists from using social media,” Roth said.

“I think it’s worth noting that this was not an opinion piece… (Lattouf) was reporting facts, and facts indeed reported by one of the world’s two leading human rights groups, and facts, if you look at them, that are not controversial.”

‘Inclusion in practice’

Over the last year in particular, the ABC has come under fire for its hypocrisy in relation to diversity and inclusion.

The national broadcaster’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan 2023-2026 was launched last July, with “inclusion in practice” as a fundamental principle to the three-year plan.

However, a number of ABC journalists with culturally diverse backgrounds have been outspoken on how this is not the case in reality.

Last week, ABC political reporter Nour Haydar also resigned from the national broadcaster, citing poor treatment of culturally diverse staff.

“This was not a decision that I made lightly, but one I made with total clarity,” she told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“Commitment to diversity in the media cannot be skin deep. Culturally diverse staff should be respected and supported even when they challenge the status quo.”

Haydar, who worked in the ABC’s Parliament House bureau, said she made her decision before learning of Lattouf’s termination, but is equally disappointed with how that situation was handled.

In May last year, before the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan 2023-26 was announced, veteran journalist Stan Grant called out the ABC for its lack of support and action in the wake of “vile”, “targeted” and “racist” abuse on social media.

The Wiradjuri man resigned from his role as host of the news and current affairs program Q+A, before he penned an opinion piece on the ABC News website.

“I am writing this because no one at the ABC — whose producers invited me onto their coronation coverage as a guest — has uttered one word of public support,” Grant said.

“Not one ABC executive has publicly refuted the lies written or spoken about me. I don’t hold any individual responsible; this is an institutional failure.”

Statement from the ABC

On Wednesday, the ABC released a statement on behalf of the Managing Director David Anderson, responding to the unfolding situation.

“The ABC’s independence, enshrined in legislation, is of paramount importance to the role the ABC performs for the Australian public,” Anderson said.

“The ABC rejects any claim that it has been influenced by any external pressure, whether it be an advocacy or lobby group, a political party, or commercial entity. That applies to all decisions made across the organisation, including in relation to content, where the ABC’s Editorial Policies provide strong direction on independence and other crucial matters.

“ABC staff are proud of our high standards of independent journalism, and routinely perform their roles for the Australian public without fear or favour, adhering to our responsibilities of impartiality and accuracy – often in the face of significant unwarranted criticism.

“The ABC will continue to support them and their work, internally and externally. As a result of our high editorial standards and independence, we remain the most trusted media organisation in the country.”

To read David Anderson’s full statement, click here.

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Powerful conservative groups have take a number of high-profile companies to court, claiming that DEI programs and policies breach Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination in the hiring process.

The law was originally designed to prevent discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion and national origin in hiring, promoting and dismissal, as well as tackle the issue of desegregation of schools. Recently, it has been mobilised by conservative anti-affirmative action groups determined to get rid of programs specifically designed to counter unconscious bias in corporate hiring process. 

The anti-affirmative action movement has gained momentum after a Supreme Court decision last year that ended race-conscious affirmative action in college admissions programs. The ruling was a blow to decades’ long race-conscious admissions schemes, aimed at diversifying the student population of the country’s most elite ivy-league colleges. 

These groups have also been boosted by their successful campaign to oust Claudine Gay, Harvard’s first Black president of Harvard, who had the shortest tenure in the university’s 388-year history after stepping down from her role in the first week of 2024 after just six months. Late last year, Gay was accused of antisemitism and plagiarism in her academic work by conservative online journal, The Washington Free Beacon. 

On January 2, Gay resigned from her role as the first Black woman to serve as president of Harvard. A week later, she penned an Op Ed in the New York Times, warning of “a broader war to unravel public faith in pillars of American society”.

“Trusted institutions of all types – from public health agencies to news organisations – will continue to fall victim to coordinated attempts to undermine their legitimacy and ruin their leaders’ credibility,” Gay wrote. 

One of the main agitators in forcing Gay to step down said his primary objective is to “eliminate the DEI bureaucracy in every institution in America and to restore truth rather than racialist ideology as the guiding principle of America.” 

In the past year, a number of prolific anti-DEI groups have undertaken this agenda with aggression and fervour. In their attempts to shut down DEI initiatives and programs that have clear race-based eligibility components, conservative groups are claiming that DEI policies force hiring managers to make race-based decisions — therefore breaking the law. 

These groups insist that DEI initiatives constitute discriminatory hiring practices. And a growing number of them are taking legal action to see that these programs are erased.

The American Alliance for Equal Rights cited section 1981 of Civil Rights Act of 1866 to go after The Fearless Fund — a venture capital fund which invests in businesses owned by women of colour. 

Virginia-based medical advocacy group Do No Harm filed a lawsuit earlier this month against the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, claiming that the association’s  “diversity scholarship,” which is only awarded to students of colour constitutes “racial discrimination.”

On its website, Do No Harm states that its mission is to “protect  healthcare from the disastrous consequences of identity politics” and file federal civil rights complaints to challenge “medical schools…[that] offer scholarships and programs that illegally discriminate based on sex, gender identity, race/ethnicity, colour or national origin.” 

In December, The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty sued the State Bar of Wisconsin, asserting its diversity fellowship program for law students breaches the free speech rights of bar members whose fees are used to fund it.

America First Legal announced it was “putting woke corporations, law firms, and hospitals on notice that all DEI programs, and all “balancing” in employment, training, scholarships, and promotions, based on race, national origin, or sex are illegal.”

“Such programs have violated the law since their inception, but based on [last June’s] Supreme Court decision, there is no excuse for them going forward,” a statement posted on the organisation’s website reads. 

In recent months, the world’s biggest companies have been modifying their DEI policies. Giants including JPMorgan Chase, American Airlines, Lowe’s and Pizza Hut operator Yum! Brands have altered, or in some cases even cut their DEI programs, amid claims their programs constitute “illegal discrimination and a breach of the directors’ duties to investors.”

Google, Nike, Amazon and Meta have reduced their DEI departments. According to a source obtained by CNBC, Google and Meta also made cuts to staff members responsible for recruiting underrepresented people. 

Are companies really breaking the law by having initiatives that aim to increase Black and other minority representation? Are they breaking the law when these initiatives are simply trying to widen their candidate pools and erase bias in the hiring process? 

Could there be other reasons for the cuts? Recent research by Indeed revealed that over a third of employers cited cost and budget constraints as the main reason why DEI efforts were being put on the back burner. 

What about here in Australia?

Jasleen Kaur, Senior Principal, HR Advisory at Gartner, believes that here in Australia, DEI initiatives remain critical and that they are driven by greater involvement and accountability from boards. 

“The consequences of not prioritising diversity or getting it wrong can be severe, so it is up to HR to make a persuasive case,” Kaur said in August, citing Gartner research that showed diverse and inclusive teams perform 1.4 times better than those that are not. 

The research also revealed that organisations with sustainable DEI strategies benefit from significant differences when it comes to talent outcomes, including employee performance, on-the-job effort and intent to stay.  

“Gartner research indicates that 56 per cent of full-time employees believe it’s very important that their workplace is ethnically, racially or culturally diverse,” Kaur said. “An inclusive environment is more likely to attract and retain workers, with employees more productive in a positive work culture.” 

“Establishing a positive work culture requires a whole of organisation commitment…[a] board’s involvement is central to the effectiveness of any DEI initiative.”

A Randstad Enterprise Talent Trends Report from 2023 delivered some good news about the state of DEI programs in Australia. 

According to the report, which surveyed more than 900 C-suite and HR leaders in 18 markets, 90 per cent of business and HR leaders in Australia have confirmed that DEI is embedded in their talent strategy. The survey also found that almost half of Australian jobseekers say they will not join a company that isn’t making an effort to improve its DEI initiatives. 

Anthea Collier, APAC Managing Director, RPO & MSP; interim Country Head of Australia, Randstad Enterprise, said in April, “Now’s the time (when your competitors are potentially cutting budgets) to properly embed your DEI strategy into your organisation’s talent infrastructure and blueprint, so you can access a broader and more diverse talent pool to help overcome the talent shortage and reap the rewards in retention.”

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Ahead of this year’s International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) on 3 of December, eleven disability advocates have stepped up to become an IDPwD ambassador and speak out on the change they wish to see in their communities. They each bring a wide range of personal and professional experiences to the conversation.

Five of the ambassadors are women and below they each share some valuable insights into their advocacy work, what they wish more people understood about living with a disability, as well as their hopes for the future.

Anja Christoffersen

Anja is an award-winning disability advocate, social entrepreneur, international model and author.

What’s something you wish more people understood about living with VACTERL association?

There is so much I can share about VACTERL; from my experiences to the diverse perspectives held by others in my community. I can easily say that I wish more people understood how everything can appear ‘perfect’ on the outside, but everyone has hidden challenges. VACTERL has taught me to not take the smallest things for granted, like being able to swallow my food without drinking, or know when I need to go to the bathroom.

I distinctly remember as a child that no doctor could reconcile the ‘healthy’ looking child in front of them, with the trolley of stacked paper medical charts that would be wheeled around behind me. More than anything, I want people to know that VACTERL is one of many rare conditions. And to understand rare conditions, it doesn’t only take medical knowledge, but learning from the lived experience of those who are going through it. It can be easy to dismiss things that are rare, but collectively the challenges faced by the rare disease/conditions community are shared and can be tackled in a unified, systemic and societal way.

As founder of Champion Health Agency, please tell us briefly what the agency aims to achieve and how people can get involved?

At Champion Health Agency we aim to professionalise the lived experience of people with disability and chronic illness – to remove the barriers of education and work experience to enable making a productive and meaningful impact on society, and earning an income. Almost one in two people have a chronic health condition, and 20 per cent have a disability, yet systems, products and services often aren’t designed for them, and rarely with or by them.

We aim to elevate lived experience perspectives in every way; whether that be speakers for events, in professional development, in content and strategy, as research partners, and so much more. We are currently in the process of transitioning to a not-for-profit to expand our reach and impact. People can get involved by hiring our talent, joining the social movement on our website, or applying to be represented.

As an IDPwD Ambassador, what change are you hoping to see achieved over the next year?

I’d like to see disability on the agenda, every day. Over the next year, I hope we can collectively work together to ensure that disability isn’t a separate ‘disability issue’, but an integrated part of bigger conversations and decisions that centre people with disability in them.

Personally, I’m working to launch two products – eco-friendly, recyclable subscription toilet paper (SHH!T Happens) and women-led supply chain speciality coffee (Against The Grain Coffee) through the Women with Disabilities Entrepreneur Network (WDEN), so that the general community have more opportunities to support disability-led businesses that reinvest in purpose, make conscious purchase decisions and create more meaningful conversations around disability, every day.

To me, diversity and inclusion is about celebrating the full spectrum of human experience, and acknowledging intersectionality – disability isn’t a separate topic, it’s one that is deeply interconnected and impacts us all (disabled or not). I believe if we all feel ownership over the changes that need to be made, and acknowledge that those impacted have the greatest expertise in coming up with the solutions, we will make true progress.

Ann-Mason Furmage

Ann-Mason is a disability advocate who has lived with disability for more than 50 years, following a Polio diagnosis as a child. Ann-Mason previously worked as an accountant and financial controller in Australia and the USA for over 20 years and has been President of the Physical Disability Council of NSW and Deputy Chair, Board of Directors, Assistive Technology Suppliers Australia.

What’s something you wish more people understood about living with disability in older age?

I think most people don’t realise that more than half of people with disability are over the age of 65. The images of people with disability that are usually seen in the media are children or young people, but the reality is that most people with disability are no longer young. And they are not usually covered by the NDIS. The assistance offered to older people with disability is mostly focused on care, which is helpful, but it forgets assistive technology (the old-fashioned term was ‘aids and equipment’) which can be the difference between independence and dependence on caregivers.

As a prominent disability advocate, please tell us briefly the initiatives you’re most passionate about.

Accessible built environment, which includes transport, housing and all public spaces. When you make a space accessible and easier for people with disabilities, you make it accessible and easier for everyone.

As an IDPwD Ambassador, what change are you hoping to see achieved over the next year?

I know that achievements for people with disabilities are often incremental and painfully slow, but I would like to see more acceptance of people with disabilities. After all, we are just people. Okay, we might have some bits that don’t work in the ‘usual’ way, but we are just people, nevertheless.

Grace Edward

Grace is an Abegi and Teremo woman from Yei in South Sudan who grew up in Kenya, and acquired a vision impairment as a young child. She is passionate about advocating for the interests of CALD young people with disability.

What’s something you wish more people understood about life as a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) young disabled person?

I consulted with YCDC members for this question. So, the responses are not just my own but from the group.

– I wish more people understood that I am just a person who wants to be seen, valued, appreciate, and included.

– I wish more people understood that, as a CALD and disabled woman, my life is deeply political. Since before I was born and probably until the day I die because I will not live to see the systemic change that needs to happen yesterday.

– I wish more people understood that there are days I also struggle to be grateful for living in this country regardless of the hardships I had to flee for this ‘freedom’ because there is a lot of guilt and grief that comes with it.

– I wish more services understood that the issue is not my culture but their lack of understanding and awareness of it.

As co-founder of Youth CALD Disability Collective, please tell us what the volunteer group aims to achieve and how people can get involved.

The Youth CaLD Disability Collective (YCDC) is a volunteer group made up of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) young disabled people across NSW, QLD, VIC, ACT, and WA. The YCDC is committed to being an inclusive, accessible, and encouraging environment for all identities, cultures, and beliefs.

People can get involved or in touch with us by contacting Kate Yeung from the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network Australia via her email kate@myan.org.au. Currently, YCDC members are available for public speaking, training, and consultation opportunities.

As an IDPwD Ambassador, what change are you hoping to see achieved over the next year?

As the first person of African descent chosen to be an Ambassador for International Day of People with Disability, I am hoping to see a reduction in inequalities. As a person from a CALD background with a disability navigating these two intersections brings double the barriers and inequalities that others usually face. Therefore, this year I hope to see Australia move towards being a more inclusive and equal place for everyone to live. A more inclusive Australia will not just benefit people from CALD backgrounds or disabled people but everyone.

Gretta Serov

Gretta is a motivational speaker, graphic designer, and founder and head writer of On Our Own Tracks. She is also a non-verbal wheelchair user, born with severe cerebral palsy.

What’s something you wish more people understood about living with Cerebral Palsy?

When I think about how people sometimes visualise someone who has Cerebral Palsy, I feel that a lot of people visualise one image, involving a large wheelchair and an intellectual impairment. With any disability, especially Cerebral Palsy, it’s important for people to understand that everyone with any disability is different and most of us strive to be identified as any other person without a disability, especially if we are nonverbal or have an intellectual disability.

As the founder and head writer of ‘On Our Own Tracks’, please tell us briefly what the blog aims to achieve and how people can get involved?

On Our Own Tracks was originally a blog which I began about six years ago. It started as I was coming out of a really big time of my life and wanted a way to pay forward the amazing support I had around me. In the years since, we saw a real need for things such as accessibility in employment and the merging of the disabled and abled bodied communities. For these reasons, we are currently an organisation which focuses on ventures such as having all-inclusive meetups, flexible employment and any other opportunities we see that we might be able to do in order to help our community, such as running support worker workshops. We are online based (including on Facebook and Instagram) so anyone is welcome to join in any way they want.

As an IDPwD Ambassador, what change are you hoping to see achieved over the next year?

I am very excited to use this amazing opportunity as an IDPwD Ambassador to shine a light on the severely disabled and nonverbal members of our community. I am also excited to use my role to outline the importance of merging the disabled and abled bodied communities together.

Hannah Diviney

Hannah is an author, actress, disability advocate and the Editor in Chief of global media company Missing Perspectives. She has also recently released her first book, I’ll Let Myself In.

What’s something you wish more people understood about living with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy?

This is probably going to sound obvious, but I wish people understood two things:

1) Yes, CP is a ‘childhood’ disability in that it’s something we have from birth BUT those children, as cute and as ‘pull at the heartstrings’ as they may be, grow up and want to live full, rich lives resplendent with all the possibilities of adulthood.

2) I can’t ever take a break from it. It doesn’t go away. I don’t get a pause button. So be aware that I am carrying a lifetime of microaggressions and trauma and emotional labour and my own complex ever-changing relationship with my disability.

You’ve mentioned you feel a duty to dismantle ableist language whenever possible. Why is this mission is so critical and how others can do the same?

It’s important because language matters and so too do the stories we tell with it. Language is one of the ways we tell each other what attitudes and beliefs we’re willing to accept. So, using ableist language, language that diminishes, undermines, or laughs in the face of disabled people being valued as human beings or thought of as intelligent, for example, sends the message that that’s something we’re OK with, and in 2023, I think it’s more than time the opposite be true. You can do the same as I do in fighting it; by paying attention to the words you, your friends and family use when talking about each other. If you’ve made a mistake, done something wrong or odd, or are teasing other people good-naturedly, if you’re reaching for insults or jokes that are ableist, stop and think before you use them.

As an IDPwD Ambassador, what change are you hoping to see achieved over the next year?

Gosh, so many things! Let’s start with disabled representation, experiences, and stories as well as the allyship we need being something people care about 365 days a year, instead of just the one… Let’s make it second nature. Let’s give people with disabilities a much broader and normalised frame of reference for what they can be, not just Paralympians, sad people to be pitied or advocates who are bright and shiny to the media.

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Since 2020, the proportion of funding allocated to these enterprises has plummeted to just 3%. Despite women founding 22% of startups, a meagre 0.7% of the total funding in FY22 was channelled to companies solely established by women. This imbalance not only reflects an ingrained bias but also signifies a missed economic opportunity. Achieving gender equality in business could add a staggering $2.88 trillion to the global economy. Investing in women is not about charity; it’s about smart business.

The exclusion of women from the startup world extends beyond the opaque deal-making in rooms they are seldom invited to. It is also baked into the way they are expected to present their businesses, when raising capital. There are some gains being made, such as a growing number of VCs waking up to investing in women. Other steps toward progress include the recent bill signed into US law, which requires VC firms to disclose the gender and race of the founders they back and include disability status and sexual orientation; an initiative driven by women-focused fund, F5 Collective. However, there are other scripts that need to be flipped in order to bridge the gender gap in entrepreneurship.

Traditional pitching needs to change

The evolution of the pitch deck in the startup world exemplifies a shift from substance to style, a trend that’s become increasingly concerning. Historically, pitch decks were straightforward presentations, highlighting key business points. However, they’ve transformed into overly designed, complex slide shows where aesthetics often eclipse the essence. As the Head of Community at One Roof, a platform supporting over 1,500 founders, I’ve observed this shift firsthand. Founders are spending too much time crafting visually appealing decks when they should be redirecting that energy into validating propositions, testing prototypes and speaking with customers. It’s much easier to hide behind a screen refining a slide than it is to get outside the building

This trend towards style over substance is more than just a distraction; it’s a fundamental misdirection. Founders are now pressured to compress their entire business model into a limited slide count, presented within a strict timeframe. The emphasis on brevity and visual appeal in these presentations often overshadows the actual business potential. This format not only prioritises those with graphic design skills and public speaking prowess but also inadvertently excludes a diverse range of entrepreneurs, especially those who may not fit the conventional mould due to their appearance, accent, or presentation style.

Furthermore, the reality of pitch competitions starkly contrasts with their televised counterparts like “Shark Tank.” In reality, securing funding in such settings is rare, with the format leaning more towards entertainment than actual investment. This approach hasn’t seen significant change in over a decade, signalling a dire need for a revamp. The current system, in its rigidness and superficiality, excludes more than it includes, failing to capture the full spectrum of entrepreneurial talent and innovation.

A move towards the Anti-Pitch

Having hosted Australia’s largest women-focused pitch events for the last five years, we are rethinking traditional pitch events, in order to foster a more inclusive and impactful startup ecosystem. We’re no less passionate about elevating women and showcasing women-led startups and rather than boycotting pitches entirely, we’re proposing a new, ‘anti-pitch’ format, prioritising the core of what startups are about: addressing and solving significant global challenges.

The anti-pitch format eschews the conventional approach of timed presentations, rushed speeches, and superficial pitch decks. Instead, it involves fireside chats and sit-down conversations between founders and judges, creating a space for genuine dialogue. These discussions will delve into topics like the founder’s personal connection to the problem, their proposed solutions, learnings, wins, and visions for the future.

We’re also reimagining the judging process. Moving away from private deliberations, judges wsill share their thought processes on stage, providing transparency and insight into the decision-making process. This shift aims to demystify the evaluation process and foster a more open and educational experience for both participants and the audience.

This year’s finalists include Vivian Shen, Cofounder of Toastie, a digital health app that serves as a one-stop shop for all your medical needs, Jeannie-Marie, the Founder of Brenna, an innovative communication app designed specifically for residential aged care and Suzie Betts, Founder of Boob Armour, who was also recognised as the 2023 Emerging Entrepreneur at the Women’s Agenda Awards.

This new format is designed to create a less intimidating and more inclusive environment for diverse founders. It’s about moving away from a focus on entertainment and towards a genuine reflection of the real-world challenges and solutions that startups offer. For those interested in experiencing Australia’s first anti-pitch, One Roof is excited to host the inaugural Startup Women of the Year Competition next week, affectionately known as The Ultimate Anti-Pitch. 200 applications have been received so far, indicating the new format is resonating deeply with women. The competition is supported by VC funds focusing on women, impact and diversity including F5 Collective, who are contributing $10,000 cash to the main prized valued at over $50,000, as well as Giant Leap, Scale Investors, Artesian, which has launched its $100 million Female Leaders VC Fund among others.

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That’s according to a recent survey from Business NSW, that included responses from big business all the way through to sole traders. Together, the respondents employ nearly 80,000 workers. 

This lowering of business confidence is occurring Australia-wide, and points to uncertain, and perhaps tougher economic conditions ahead. The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show slowing economic growth and weak household consumption as the highest interest rates in a decade have stalled demand.

With concerns of a recession now on the horizon, businesses and employers will look for ways to cut their costs. It also makes it all the more important that employers are getting bang for their buck when it comes to the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies they may have in place. 

Below, we’ve outlined five non-negotiable DEI policies for employers that will help their business flourish in a slowing economy. 

Paid parental leave

When it comes to DEI policies, delivering paid parental leave to employees is a key action that has a proven, positive flow on effect for organisations. 

Employer-funded parental leave ensures new parents are supported as they embark upon one of the most challenging times in their lives and careers. It can lead to reduced staff turnover, which in turn leads to fewer recruitment and training costs for businesses.

In uncertain economic times, retaining your best talent can help ensure businesses keep their productivity high and employees satisfied. A top-tier paid parental leave policy can also be a key way for organisations to show they are leading with a “people-first” attitude.

Best practice paid parental leave policies from employers in Australia have removed ‘‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ carer labels to encourage both mothers and fathers to take up the leave. In the OECD, the average length of leave offered is 53 weeks, while countries like Iceland, Norway and Finland offer paid parental leave at around 80 per cent of a parent’s normal wage. 

Meanwhile, supporting new parents with paid parental leave has considerable advantages – not just for businesses, but for the entire economy. As noted by KPMG in a major report on paid parental leave in 2021, equal parenting models in families can give rise to a higher standard of living, and benefits for businesses, with increased productivity and workforce participation. It can also help reduce gender pay and superannuation gaps, and help mothers stay connected to the workforce. 

Sponsorship 

Another DEI policy that has innumerable positive benefits for businesses and provides a significant return on investment, are sponsorship programs that link senior leaders with emerging leaders within an organisation. 

As we’ve noted on Women’s Agenda previously, sponsorship can be a key way to dismantle systemic and behavioural barriers that hold women back in workplaces. This has never been more important as Australia’s economic growth slows.

Katriina Tähkä, Managing Director at Cultivate Sponsorship, knows the benefits of sponsorship first-hand and says now is not the time to back off on career development, even amid tougher economic conditions.

“Uncertain economic times can lead employees to also feel uncertain about job security and career progression at their current employer unless there are signs to the contrary,” Tähkä told Women’s Agenda.

“If people do not believe that their company and leaders genuinely care about their continued development or they feel overlooked and isolated it can lead to people changing jobs. Now is not the time to back off on career development; but to ensure that your most valuable resource, your people, know that they are valued.”

Tähkä says that sponsorship programs ensure that leaders have the skills they need to be effective sponsors, and that investing in emerging leaders is necessary if they are to be part of an organisation’s financial success. 

“Having a sponsor in your corner gives you a senior person in your company who understands your aspirations and is looking out for ways to keep you on the radar for opportunities,’ she said. 

“That connection will keep employees engaged even through the most challenging economic conditions. Engaged employees are more productive and will be key to helping any organisation to weather uncertainty. Leading with a people-first culture will always pay off in the long term.”

Flexible work practices 

On top of paid parental leave and sponsorship programs, continuing to offer employees flexible work options is critical in this uncertain economic period. According to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), flexible work options are one of the key ways employers can ensure they are being responsive to their employees’ needs. As WGEA highlights, attracting and retaining diverse talent is critical to future-proofing businesses – all the more important if employers are looking at strategies to thrive in a shrinking economy. 

Whether it’s offering remote or hybrid work practices, flexible hours for working parents, or allowing some roles to shift to job-sharing arrangements – there are many ways that flexible work arrangements can fit into a business. 

With flexible work policies comes diverse talent, as well as more diverse leadership teams. And, as a growing body of evidence has made clear, there is a clear business case for more diverse leadership teams. They perform better, deliver greater profits, and achieve higher ESG outcomes. 

Data collection

Collecting data on your company’s DEI policies is also critical to ensuring you are getting the most out of the strategies that are in place. In an adverse economic climate, getting the most out of DEI practices can be a real benefit to any business. Moreover, tracking the outcomes and success of policies with clear metrics is critical to ensure there is accountability at the leadership level.

Also, having transparency around the goals of a company’s DEI strategy will mean employees are more confident in their workplace’s commitment to better outcomes. It can also help to educate and inspire employees, a key part of talent retention. 

Cultivate Sponsorship provides its clients with an Impact Report at the end of each program, which  provides a workplace with a comprehensive overview of employees’ sentiments on their career progression and DEI policies. It’s another transparency measure that can help an organisation decide if they need to make incremental changes to better its DEI outcomes. 

A commitment to preventing harassment, discrimination, and bullying 

One in three workers in Australia have experienced sexual harassment in their workplace over the last five years, according to a national survey undertaken in late 2022. Meanwhile, just half of employees say their employers have provided information on how to report an incident.

With a slate of changes following former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins’ Respect@Work report in 2020, there a number of new requirements for employers to take note of. Importantly, it is now incumbent upon businesses to prevent sexual harassment from occuring in their workplace, after legislation passed through federal parliament last year creating a “positive duty” for employers.  The respect@work.gov.au website provides information and resources for employers to help create respectful workplaces, free from harassment.

Preventing your employees from suffering from discrimination and bullying is just as vital to ensure workplaces are safe for everyone. As the economy slows, ensuring workplaces are safe is key to enabling employee productivity and wellbeing – both are essential for the financial success and resilience of a business. 

Ensuring your policies on harassment, discrimination, and bullying are up to date and implemented fully is non-negotiable in this economic climate. But most importantly leaders need to ‘walk the talk’. They need to be visible role models of the behaviours expected in the organisation even through the most challenging of times. Adversity can’t be an excuse for loosening the standards of respect expected of everyone.  

Leaders who are active sponsors of others will understand firsthand the barriers and challenges that others face and commit to overcoming them. Seeing your own company through another person’s eyes and lived experience is a powerful way to teach empathy and understanding, crucial for the decision makers to understand the potential multigenerational impact of the decisions they make now. If you take flexible work and paid parental leave off the table now and overlook inappropriate behaviour how will this impact the people in your organisation?

Although DEI is often first on the hit list of cost cutting; chances are that you will be cutting more than just the budget.

Learn more about Cultivate Sponsorship here.

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Chief Executive Women issued a call on Thursday for leaders across big business to take action to support culturally diverse women in the workforce, highlighting the need to address gender and race to support more women in leadership. 

And CEW has also stated its own commitment to gathering data across its membership and setting meaningful targets to drive greater diversity within the organisations. It concedes that it has it own work to do. 

With almost half of Australians now having a parent born overseas and 5.5 million Australians speaking a language other than English, according to the 2021 Census, there’s a large pool of untapped leadership talent in culturally and racially diverse women.

Launching the report in Sydney, CEW President Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz led a conversation with Macquarie Group CEO Shemara Wikramanayake, and Stockland CEO Tarun Gupta. They called on more leaders to take action on amplifying a conversation about cultural and racial diversity while also noting the value of building diverse teams and role of data in measuring progress. 

Called Unlocking Leadership: Conversations on Gender and Race in Corporate Australia 2023, the report emphasises how leaders need to discuss “women and race”. With data on racially diverse women in leadership limited in Australia, the report declares a need for an honest and open conversation that includes safe spaces and approaches for disclosing and collecting data. 

It comes as progress on women in executive leadership at ASX 300 companies has been visible – albeit slow. But the same can’t be said for progress on cultural and racial diversity, as there is not enough reporting and measuring of such data. 

As the report states, the extensive research and action over the past 20 years or so at achieving gender equal workplaces has tended to treat women as a “homogenous group”, resulting in benefits flowing more readily to “to women from the dominant white population.” 

Dr Marlene Kanga AO, a CEW member and project steering committee member, said Australia will miss out on unlocking the best leadership talent if it fails to address some of the barriers culturally diverse women face. 

“With Australia facing a challenging economic climate and critical workforce shortages, businesses need to tap into the full talent pool and culturally diverse women are one of our greatest untapped resources,” she said.

“Culturally diverse women leaders are a force to be reckoned with. As a nation, we must work together to harness this talent, and embrace culturally diverse women’s leadership in our workforces and across our economy.” 

She also spoke about Australia’s geographical location in proximity to Asia, home to seven of the world’s largest economies by 2030. The country’s strong multicultural workforce being a competitive advantage at a time of economic uncertainty and massive geopolitical shifts, she said.  

“As we address global challenges like climate change and rapid technological advancements that have no geographical borders, our national interest and economic prosperity will depend on how well we harness our resources and continue to attract the global flows of ideas, capital and people and maximise their potential.”

“Importantly, in the global war for talent, we should note that millennials are demanding diverse and inclusive workplaces. This is critical to attracting and retaining them.”

Exploring the experiences of culturally and racially diverse women in senior leadership roles at Australia’s ASX 300 companies, while building on existing reports from Diversity Council of Australia and MindTribes, the new CEW paper shares the actions leaders can take for addressing them the barriers culturally and racially diverse women faced — with a firm “double-glazed glass ceiling” in place, according to Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz.

Lloyd-Hurwitz said leaders must reflect on how they can be allies to support women’s leadership, highlighting the actions they can take to support culturally diverse women.

“Things like having a conversation about race at leadership tables, improving organisational data gathering on cultural diversity in the workplace and actively sponsoring the many highly capable culturally diverse women and men to accelerate change that benefits everyone,” she said. 

CEW five actions leaders can take to support more women in leadership including leading conversations about cultural and racial diversity, role modelling curiosity and self reflection, gathering data and measuring progress on goals, investing in sponsorships and building culturally safe workplaces that aim to break down systemic barriers. 

As Dr Marlene Kanga said in her speech launching the report, tapping this great resource is a necessary reality – and a challenge that should be taken on. “We would be clever to welcome it,” she said. 

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A world first, Impacter is a new cloud-based software designed to help businesses self-assess and improve business outcomes when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Financy chief executive Bianca Hartge-Hazelman says she is on a mission to clean up ‘DEI washing’ in Australia.

“Our goal is to prevent organisations from falsely claiming effective DEI initiatives by introducing a tool that can measure this and hold executives accountable for their actions.”

“Although well-intentional, many initiatives designed to improve workplace DEI often fail because measuring performance, and ensuring executives are held accountable for its success, is difficult. That is where Impacter can provide clarity,” Hartge-Hazelman said.

Financy’s new software enables businesses to measure and track their DEI position while being able to verify their results in a centralised and secure location. There’s evidence-based assessments given on a quarterly basis. Impacter also helps to hold business leaders accountable and compliant with things like gender pay gap reporting and other diversity considerations under the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012.

The software provides real-time data through a secure dashboard, and recommends best practices for business planning and risk management when it comes to DEI.

“I first designed Impacter as a Equality Tracker Tool in an Excel document after becoming frustrated at the slow pace of change on gender equality issues as noted in the Financy Women’s Index, a quarterly snapshot on women’s finances and gender equality timeframes,” said Hartge-Hazelman.

Impacter was developed over an 18-month period in consultation with business experts and academics specialising in diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as tech company Tech For Good Group. Financy also partnered with the University of South Australia’s Centre for Workplace Excellence to set, test and review the Impacter assessments and unique scoring algorithms.

A pilot of the software was conducted in late 2022 with over 30 organisations, and Hartge-Hazelman said the results concluded that organisations reported improvements in gender pay gap, brand awareness, better budget allocation, time and resource savings, improvements in staying on top of DEI compliance, and higher staff retention and attraction rates.

“Studies show that when employees feel valued for their differences, they are likely to be more satisfied, innovative, productive and let’s be honest, more likely to stick around. These are all factors that boost business performance,” Hartge-Hazelman said.

The post Gender equality advocate Financy launches software to improve DEI in businesses appeared first on Women's Agenda.

As with all major events, a multitude of factors played a part in SVB’s downfall, such as the failure to account for rising interest rates; the drying up of venture capital, which forced startups to draw down funds held by the bank; uninsured depositors; and a lack of regulatory oversight.

What didn’t contribute to its demise is the “45% women, one Black, one LGBTQ+ and two Veterans”, who sat on the board and oversaw the bank’s operations, but it seems that The Wall Street Journal columnist Andy Kessler missed the memo.

“Was there regulatory failure? Perhaps. SVB was regulated like a bank but looked more like a money-market fund”, he wrote in March.

“Then there’s this: In its proxy statement, SVB notes that besides 91% of their board being independent and 45% women, they also have ‘one Black,’ ‘one LGBTQ+’ and ‘two Veterans.’ I’m not saying 12 white men would have avoided this mess, but the company may have been distracted by diversity demands.”

Unsurprisingly, the pile-on was swift, and journalists and leaders alike have called out Kessler. While some of his points are warranted, Kessler’s commentary has opened the gateway to address and analyse the mindset underpinning this thinking — especially at a time when so many companies are investing in diversity, equity and inclusion policies (DEI).

Resistance to change

No matter the policy or topic, there will always be people who feel threatened by change. Until recently, the fact that white men dominated the world was not in question. But as society moves on and culture changes, more organisations realise that focusing on DEI is ethical and makes good business sense.

Kessler’s commentary indicates his resistance to change, and the fact it was published in such a prominent newspaper shows, unfortunately, that there is still an audience for this.

People uncomfortable with change are looking for an excuse to justify why the old guard is still the best way forward, and Kessler has provided them with an argument: that the pendulum has swung too far the other way when it comes to DEI.

As this backlash against diversity grows, all sorts of failures, no matter how illogical, will be attributed to companies protesting diversity efforts over so-called “best person for the job” rhetoric.

The merit argument, while worthy, makes sense only in an ideal world: a world where diversity and inclusion are just a normal part of everyday life, as unnoticed as the office carpet. It is a world where social structures, constructed off the back of colonialist and patriarchal principles, no longer apply and where everyone, regardless of race, gender, sexuality or ability, is considered only based on their experience and talent.

Unfortunately, we do not exist in this world, so we have DEI frameworks. Talent may be equally distributed, but opportunity is not. You level out this playing field by interrogating how the current “best person for the job” got his (let’s face it — it’s usually a white man) position.

Misconstrued facts

Despite no evidence supporting the correlation between DEI and lack of business performance (particularly in the case of SVB) — research supports just the opposite — the fact Keller even raises this possibility shows tunnel vision or, at worst, a deliberate attempt to misrepresent information.

During the financial crisis of 2008, the approximately 24 financial institutions that either collapsed, got acquired, or bailed out were almost exclusively led by white, middle-class men aged 50 or older. Yet no one commented that a lack of diversity was the problem.

As researchers Robin Ely and David Thomas eloquently explain in this Harvard Business Review piece, it’s unrealistic for a business to take the “add diversity and stir” approach and expect immediate results (this usually means shareholder earnings).

The commitment to increasing diversity must be based on a genuine desire to see a change in the workplace and an understanding that tapping underrepresented people’s identity-related knowledge and experiences as resources for learning will enhance every aspect of the organisation — and not just its profits.

Diversity as the norm

I cannot wait for the time when diversity is no longer an add-on consideration to the day-to-day running of a business but a simple fact of life. Airtasker founder Tim Fung and former CEO of David Jones Paul Zahra are both vocal proponents of the importance of embodying diversity within an organisation’s core ethos.

Executives must actively consider what diversity and inclusion mean to their business and why it is essential. Most companies, no matter the sector, cater to everyone, and making decisions at the top without consulting with a wide variety of people has proven detrimental.

As Ely and Thomas point out: “leaders must acknowledge that increasing demographic diversity does not, by itself, increase effectiveness; what matters is how an organisation harnesses diversity and whether it’s willing to reshape its power structure.”

Broadening our notion of success is also paramount. Success isn’t just about maximising shareholder returns but about learning, creativity, flexibility, and human dignity.

So when people like Kessler misconstrue the value of diversity in the workplace and deliberately ignore facts, we must look beyond the words and consider the fine print: why is he saying this? Who is the person writing or speaking, and where do they come from? And what do they stand to gain from pedalling their view?

As a society, as organisations and as individuals, we must strive to bring people who are disengaged, misinformed and are serving as blockers on the journey to understanding why DEI is beneficial. This can be done through dedicated programs — like allyship training — which foster a psychologically safe environment to accelerate understanding, acceptance and engagement with diversity.

Intentional action is needed to engage everyone if we are to accelerate progress. Organisations can’t afford to be complacent, otherwise the time, money and resources they’re spending on DEI are continually being wasted and undermined.

This article was first published by Smart Company. Read the original article here.

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Both local and international stars shared advice on how to push through the misogyny, sexism, racism and ableism they’ve had to confront during their journeys.

Hollywood icon Geena Davis spoke about the importance of playing strong female characters. Screen legend Sigrid Thornton talked about her yearning for more older female characters on screen who aren’t stereotypically housebound introverts. Indian Australian actor Pallavi Sharda revealed the complex challenges she’s had to face as an actor who was told there was no place for her on any screens in Australia because of her skin colour. And filmmaker and disability advocate Amy Marks urged content creators to stop making excuses, and to get on with including more disabled people in film. 

Below are some highlights from the one-day conference. 

Audacity and unshakeable self belief was key to success for Geena Davis

Geena Davis grew up in a family that was, in her words, “far removed from anything to do with show business.”

Her mother grew and made all the food the family ate. Her father built the house they lived in. When she decided to pursue acting at college, her parents didn’t think much of it. Davis’ own self-belief carried her through the early years of her career. 

“The very first class in college was orientation, and there were about one hundred freshmen in the theatre arts program. At one point the professors told us, ‘You’ve all chosen an incredibly challenging profession… in fact, probably only about 1 per cent of you will live as an actor.’ And I swear I thought, [Davis looks back her shoulder] oh these poor people!” 

During her keynote speech, Davis spoke about her memoir, Dying of Politeness, where she explains the transition she experienced after playing roles so opposite to her own sensibility.

“I had a terminal politeness that coloured nearly every aspect of my life,” she explained. “By the time I started dating, it was impossible. I could never say what I liked or what I wanted to do. I couldn’t even say what kind of toppings I liked on pizza in case it was impolite somehow. But playing these roles, like leaders… gave me the opportunity to practice being like that. You know, that phrase, fake it till you make it. I was acting until I could become it.”

The ‘fake it to you make it’ mantra carried on into other areas too.

After gracing the screen as a professional baseball player in A League of Their Own, Davis decided to take up archery after seeing it on television during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics — a sport she described as “beautiful, dramatic looking”.

At 41, she found a coach, trained for two and a half years, and became a semi-finalist at the following Games. 

Can we stop being icky about aging women on the screen?

During the Q&A segment of the panel discussion titled “Aging on Screen”, Australian acting legend Rachel Griffiths was in the audience when she stood up and addressed the panellists, which included filmmaker Sophie Hyde, Rachael Maza OAM, and casting director Anousha Zarkesh.

“Sometimes I wonder if we are moving forward in representation but within the criticism in the press that we do for the above said press representation – it feels like we’ve gone back thirty years,” Griffiths said. “We are constantly asked as older performers about aging, and I’m torn between – is it my job to inspire women to be able to talk about menopause, or actually can I talk about the role of the PM, existing in Australian politics?” — referring to her role as female prime minister, Rachel Anderson in the 2019 ABC drama Total Control.

“I feel like the press, and reporting and journalism are behind it, particularly on the value of older women’s experience — there’s even a bit of a kind of, just general ick factor that comes into play, or something.”

Griffiths asked moderator Madeline Di Nonno, the CEO of the Geena Davis Institute for Gender in Media, about the landscape of America’s gendered criticism and how older female stories are written and rated in the platforms that matter in the market that buys women the opportunities to continue that representation. 

“One of the things we found is that for some reason, no one thinks that women over the age of 50 are having sex, or want to have sex or want to have romantic relationships,” Di Nonno responded.

“They’re showing us as mostly being indoors, and in care of someone else.”

Di Nonno believes the industry needs to work on debunking these harmful stereotypes. “It’s not happening,” she said, “In broadcast film or streaming. We need to increase the opportunities. We need to support it with our pocket, our viewership, we need to demand more of these diverse stories. Demand these stories where women over fifty are having sex.”

Sigrid Thornton reminded the audience that all the ‘ism’s intersect.

“Wouldn’t it be great when we don’t have to answer those questions about being an older actor?” she said. “Won’t it be great when people of colour are just there in the story? Won’t it be great when older women are just there in a story being active, playing actors rather than ‘characters of colour’ or ‘characters of disability’ or ‘characters who are older’. That’s what we want. Storytelling has an ability to bring us out…to rise us up above our ‘ism’s. It has enormous power.”

“There’s a need for new stories and we’ve got a lot of them. Let’s bring them up and let’s just try to dispense with the tokenism if we can.”

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We need to fund more stories about transpeople, made by transpeople, Muslim stories, by Muslim people

When trans woman and activist Dr Julie Peters was growing up, all the trans people she saw in movies were either murdered or died by suicide. 

There are harmful, ingrained ideas about what a trans person is.

“Where did these mythologies come from?” moderator Jan Fran asked the panellists Muslim Producer and Director Kauthar Abdulalim, Indian Australian actor Pallavi Sharda, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara actor Elaine Crombie and Dr Peters.

“Why are they there? And when you say you want to de-mythologize them, how do you do that?”

“The way I tried this is to keep telling stories when there’s negative press,” Dr Peters said. “I try and go somewhere else with a positive story.”

Peters shared her story of transitioning in 1990. At the time, she was working at the ABC.

“As I was growing up, I didn’t know anything about trans,” she said. “I was living in a transphobic society so why would not be transphobic?”

“In a way that is one of those things, particularly in LGBT communities. We’ve grown up in a homophobic and transphobic society, so we internalise that. Back in the 90s, I was doing switchboard, and I would say about 80 per cent of the calls I got where you could actually put down to internalised homophobia.”

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Kauthar Abdulalim said she started her own production company because she felt that certain stories were being told without honouring the sacredness of a community or their experiences.

“If you are going to be telling a story about a character or those experiences centered in your story, are you telling it with Muslims? Are you taking Muslim culture into consideration when you’re bringing Muslims on set? Are you creating a set that’s culturally competent? Are you scheduling times for prayer breaks? Are you accommodating to Halal options? Are you familiar with certain customers when it comes to costume style?”

“If you’re not going to honour us, then don’t do it. Because you’re actually making a mockery of us and our experiences by saying that we are representing you, or telling your story. You’re really not. It’s better that you don’t do it and let us do it because we can do it.”

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Take Up Space, and Consult the Right People

Elaine Crombie is a big advocate of authentic storytelling. For Crombie, the star of ABC shows including Top of the Lake and Kiki and Kitty, the motto to follow is simple: “Nothing About Us, Without Us.”

“It’s just about taking space,” she said. “I feel a huge responsibility for my kids, my community, all of the young ones and my peers who look up to me in order to just keep staying steady on that track of taking space, in the art and in theatres, have that in, you know, writers rooms, all of that kind of stuff and just having those strong listening ears on to make sure that people are moving in the right way when they’re representing women…wanting to represent us wanting to produce our films. Have you got all of the people that need to be in the room?” 

“If you’re telling stories on land, then make sure you’ve got all of your cultural consultants in the room and make sure that the story weaves in the right direction.” 

ACMI is currently exhibiting GODDESS – an exhibition showcasing female trailblazers, binary-busters, agitators and instigators on and off screen.

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Now, with the global talent shortage impacting nearly all industries, it’s more important than ever for employers to get things right in order to attract and retain the best people. 

It’s known that women in key decision-making positions contribute to improved company performance, and yet, more than 1 in 5 boards have no women at all. And only 22 per cent of CEOs are women, according to WGEA’s 2021-22 Employer Census.

**** Check out The Goodwork Playbook here.

The pay gap between men and women is still a problem as well, remaining stagnant at 22.8 per cent with new national data showing men earn an average of $26,000 more.

So what can be done to improve workplaces for everyone? Policies such as equal and generous paid parental leave (PPL), flexible working opportunities and ongoing, accessible training are key. 

Other measures that could make significant impacts on the lives of many women in particular include, greater health and wellbeing offerings, fertility support and paid domestic and family violence leave.

Expanding on this, thanks to the support of Genea, Women’s Agenda is releasing “The Goodwork Playbook: 7 Policies for the Best Diverse Talent”.

We’ve spoken to a range of experts to provide a snapshot of some of the practical ways employers can stay ahead of the curve. 

Key recommendations for employers include:

• Offer 12 months of PPL at replace wage rate, and actively encourage men or non-birthing parents to use it.
• While factoring in business demands, offer flexibility around work days and times
• Offer up to 24 days a year for reproductive health issues such as menstruation, menopause miscarriage, abortion, fertility and other prenatal needs. 
• Take a personalised and humane approach when implementing domestic and family violence leave policy
• Be visible in your support for people of all identities and backgrounds
• Have an explicit policy around disability inclusion and back this up with strategic effort

Read the full report here.

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