Gender and diversity for professionals
Broadening the mix of those working in engineering, science, IT, architecture and other technical professions will be critical to realising our national innovation capability and productivity potential. To do this, we need to look at ways to tackle entrenched biases in work practices, provide flexible work arrangements that facilitate participation and inclusion, and address cultural impediments to attracting and retaining as diverse a workforce as possible. These are matters not only of justice and equity but of labour market supply and improving the nation’s bottom line.
Professionals Australia is committed to promoting the work of women in the professions, encouraging young women to study and develop STEM skills and supporting the retention of women in the professional workforce.
- Read the Professionals Australia 2015 Women in the STEM Professions Survey Report “The Slower Track”
- Read Wasted Potential: the critical role of an experienced professional workforce in facing our key economic challenges
- Read our Women in STEM position paper
- Read our Gender bias in the STEM workforce series
- Unconscious bias – what is it and why is it important in the STEM context? (Toner, M.)
- Unconscious gender bias in the STEM workforce (Professionals Australia)
- Unconscious and systemic bias in IT (Hochwald, M., Zarnegar, A., McCarthy, E. & Prince, S.)
- Pregnancy discrimination – a form of systemic bias (Kelly, J.)
- Media Release
Comments and feedback – Professionals Australia welcomes your feedback. Please email genderanddiversity@professionalsaustralia.org.au with your suggestions and comments.
Professionals Australia’s commitment to gender and diversity initiatives is evident in our work across professions and divisions:
- Submission to Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity on Australian National Standards for Working with Interpreters in Courts and Tribunals
- Submission to Senate Education and Employment Committee on the Gender Pay Gap Bill 2015
- Submission to Willing to Work Inquiry
- Women in Engineering CPD scholarship
- Women in IT scholarship
- Submission to Senate Committee Inquiry on Economic Security for Women in Retirement, November 2015 (ACTU)
- The important role of interpreters for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women affected by family violence
- Submission to Innovation Inquiry which talks about diversity as part of workforce development
- Realising Innovation through Science and R&D which talks about the need to broaden workforce participation to ensure a strong pipeline of STEM skills
- Parlour Guides to Equitable Architecture Practices – Professionals Australia took part in the consultation process and helped review these Guides
- Managing diversity – some practical suggestions
- Submission to Access and Equity Inquiry – Professionals Australia commented on the role of interpreters in ensuring the responsiveness of Government services to the needs of CALD community
- Submission to Insecure Work Inquiry – Professionals Australia commented on the link between insecure work and female-dominated industries and identified community interpreting as one of those industries
- Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Child Care and Early Learning (ACTU)
- Domestic violence leave – Submission to Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence (ACTU)
- ACTU application to include domestic violence leave in modern awards (attached)
- Submission on Paid Parental Leave (ACTU)
- Looking to work part-time?
- Managing a career break
- Flexibility at work
- Pharmacy – over 60% of the Professionals Australia pharmacy membership is female. Click here to look at the work being done to improve professional recognition for pharmacists
- Australian Human Rights Commission’s Women in male-dominated industries toolkit – available here.
