Women At Work

Professor Nareen Young is Associate Dean, Indigenous Engagement and Leadership at UTS Business School, and leads the Jumbunna Institute of Indigenous Education and Research. She is one of Australia's most respected workplace diversity practitioners and thinkers. For 15 years, prior to UTS and Jumbunna, Nareen was the Director of PWC Indigenous Consulting, CEO of Diversity Council Australia and Director of the NSW Working Women's Centre, and was nominated for an Australian Human Rights Award and Medal for her work during that time. Nareen is influenced by both her Indigenous and culturally diverse heritages in all her work and has received numerous awards and acknowledgements, including the inaugural Westpac 100 Women of Influence honour for Diversity, and she commentates and publishes her work widely across media and academia. In this episode Nareen mentioned: Talking up to the White Woman, by Aileen Moreton-Robinson Sister Girl, by Jackie Huggins Gari Yala Gendered Insights Report

Sophie McCarthy had some big shoes to fill. Her mother Wendy has been at the forefront of feminist activism for decades, and Sophie picked up the mantle and is making her own huge impact on gender equality. As CEO of McCarthy mentoring, Sophie partners with leading companies to design programs that drive change, engage people and develop leaders. With her upbringing, it's no surprise that Sophie participates in her own advocacy work, As Chair of Sydney Community Foundation, she helps support the most vulnerable women in Sydney, giving a voice to women who don't get heard. Sophie's passionate about doing work that actually makes a difference, and breaking down barriers that prevent equality.

In Apolitical's list of 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy, you find Jacinda Ardern, former PM of NZ, and you also find today's guest Dr. Leonora Risse. Leonora is an economist who specialises in gender equality. Her focus is women in the workforce, gender pay gaps, why there aren't more women in leadership, societal norms that see women doing the majority of care work, gender biases and resistance to equality initiatives. And she VERY much believes that we need to fix the system, NOT the women. With a PhD focused on paid maternity leave in Australia, she is co-founder of the Women in Economics Network in Australia, a Research Fellow with the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard University, and a Research Fellow with the Women's Leadership Institute Australia. She's one of the most passionate advocates for gender equality I've had the privilege to chat with. I hope you enjoy this episode with Dr Leonora Risse!

Claire Harvey has opinions. But as Editorial director of The Australian she's also very good at waiting to hear what you think. With an interest in journalism that started at her parents dining table piled high with newspapers, and the radio and TV news on, she's gone from copy girl working for free to her current role. Now, she has two kids, leaves work loudly to support mothers and parents following behind her, and has a husband with an equally big career as political staffer. So she knows what it means to find balance, and she knows the compromises it takes to manage having a big career and a family. She hosts a daily podcast from the Australian called The Front, 12-minute explorations into a story a day, and when she took her current role, that itself made the news. I'm so excited to hear about what it takes to manage a family while having a career driven by passion and hard work, and I hope you enjoy the show!

If you look at Apolitical's 100 Most Influential People Working in Gender Policy for 2018 and 2019 you find Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Michelle Obama, the United Nations High Cmomissioner for Human Rights and first female president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet… and today's guest Libby Lyons. Libby started her career as a teacher, working her way all the way to Director of the workplace gender equality agency, to now Chair of SAGE – Science in Australia gender equity, and is a hugely influential Australian woman. She was featured in the book 200 Women, was awarded Woman of the Decade for Gender Policy by Women Economic Forum in 2019 and has presented multiple times at the United Nations' Commission on the Status of Women. She's positive, high energy, has done it all raising a son in a time when there was no paid parental leave, and a woman after my own heart, has been quoted, "you've just got to have a party because you never know when it's your last one." Living in the moment, whilst driving lasting change, I'm honoured to have the opportunity to speak with Libby, and hope you enjoy the episode.

I asked ChatGPT, and it told me that men still hold 70-80% of formal positions of power, across most domains, globally. And because of that very power imbalance, women can't achieve equality on our own. We need men to be involved, and to use the power our current systems grant them, to shift things. And that's exactly what Champions of Change Coalition do, led by today's guest, CEO Annika Freyer. The Coalition aims to achieve gender equality, advance more and diverse women into leadership, and build respectful and inclusive workplaces. But as we know here at Women at Work, you can't increase women's representation without shifting the systems. It's not about fixing the women. Annika was appointed as the inaugural CEO of the Champions of Change Coalition in 2016, and has grown the coalition from its Founding Group of 10 CEOs to more than 250 members. And she's done that while getting herself to Barry's bootcamp at 5am every morning, and raising two young daughters. I really enjoyed this fun, candid chat with Annika, and I hope you do, too!

Spoiler alert: when women leaders leave organisations after having kids, it's not because they "lack confidence" or "opt out." But the reality is, organisations are struggling to recruit and retain women in leadership, and women are struggling to stay. Dr Amanda Sterling's groundbreaking PhD research exposes how the denial of women's physical experiences (pregnancy, breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, menopause) creates impossible conditions for mothers in leadership. As a leadership consultant and neuroscience-trained coach, she's calling bull on trying to "fix the women" and instead shows organisations how to fix their cultures so women can thrive in leadership positions, not just in support roles where so many of us get stuck. Her work has been featured everywhere from Global Women to Radio New Zealand, and she's about to drop some cold, hard truths about what really needs to change to get - and keep - more women in leadership.

We talk about changing the system, not the women. Sometimes we're talking about workplaces when we discuss structural change, and today we're talking about the government's role in gender equity with Kate Thwaites MP, the Assistant Minister for Women. Kate co-wrote Enough is Enough, about the pervasive culture of sexual violence and harassment within Australia's Parliament House, and her portfolio of work focuses on Women, Ageing, and Social Security. We got the chance to hear about her new bill aiming to make gender equality targets compulsory for large employers, the unique challenges older women face as a historically invisible but increasingly visible part of the workforce, and why it even matters if Parliament is a positive workplace. I believe we need more women in all the rooms where decisions are made (just like Ruth Bader Ginsberg), and Kate is doing just that. Enjoy the show! In this episode we discuss: When women succeed, it's good for the bottom line and other employees. Kate's bill to introduce gender targets for all companies with 200+ people. The increased wages for educators and aged care workers that was recently secured. Labor Government updates to Paid Parental Leave. Kate's work supporting older women who are less financially secure. Workforce shortages Australia is facing, and how to solve for them. Kate Jenkins' Set the Standard review and positive changes. The realities of being a young mum in Parliament. The gift to our children of going after our dreams.

Karina Kallio has a background as a fashion designer, then had a bit of an awakening to the impact of the industry and a calling to what is her role in the world – all of which was strengthened by being a mother. Karina believes we exist best in community - a theme that comes through often in this podcast. The power of community in thriving and driving change. She talks about life's longing for itself, and how we need to find our role within the world. The systems that we work, parent and live in hold us in isolation but we can't do this work alone, and this is a beautiful conversation about Karina's heart's work, and how she navigates life and work as a mother. In this episode we discuss: Karina's background in fashion, and moving to sustainable fashion. How destructive the fashion industry is - to self esteem, the world, the level of waste, and the feeling of being treated as a number in workplaces. The importance of community The unique contributions we all make to the circle of life. The interconnectedness of everything, and Karina's 'systems' view of the world. Our obligation to contribute, and to look beyond ourselves. How our role as Mother is to help our children fly out into the world and life fully.

Lael Stone is a parenting expert, but really she's a humaning expert. I've shared her conversation with the Imperfects about parenting yourself first more than any podcast I have ever listened to. She has worked as a birth educator, post-natal trauma counsellor, a parenting educator, with teens around sexuality, she created Woodline primary school an innovative new school based on emotional well-being and connection, and now speaks about creating wellness in adults through connection and communication. Lael is an educator, TEDx speaker, author, mother, a parenting counsellor, funny lady, and in her words, she speaks for the kids. In this episode we discuss: Creating wellness through connection and community - and what that looks like. There is no perfect parenting, and compassion is one of the most important tools of motherhood. It's important we learn to sit with our kids' big emotions and be present for and with them. Asking the two important questions: What am I making this mean? and, What would I like it to look like? and using our responses to reparent ourselves. The work - as a parent, partner, friend, child - is to be observant and curious. Modelling a better picture of self care for our children. How Lael's children have facilitated her greatest growth. I am so excited that I get to chat with her, I hope you enjoy it too.