Annabel Bassil decided to take a stand against harassment in the hospitality industry after an incident which she says well and truly “crossed the line”.
The bar manager was smacked on the bottom by a male patron, who later pleaded guilty to common assault, and says she hopes her case will be a force for change for women in the industry.
Category: Workforce Discrimination
Just 13 women lead world’s 500 biggest companies. And no women of colour
For the first time in six years, no women of colour CEOs are on this year’s Global 500 list. The list calculates the world’s largest 500 companies by revenue.
This year’s companies employ a total of 69.9 million people worldwide across 32 countries. Out of the 500 companies that made the cut, just 13 companies have female CEOs — with eight of those based in the United States.
Source: Just 13 women lead world’s 500 biggest companies. And no women of colour
Underutilised, Underpaid, Undervalued: Australian women and COVID-19 in and after the crisis
The coronavirus outbreak has had devastating health, economic and social consequences for many Australians. In paid and unpaid work, women have been disproportionately impacted. Many of the gendered inequalities that existed in the pre-COVID-19 world of work – like the overrepresentation of women in lower-paid, insecure jobs and the uneven distribution of unpaid domestic labour – have been exacerbated by the global pandemic.
Women have been the essential frontline workers of the COVID-19 crisis
Women are disproportionately losing work and pay
Women are doing (even) more unpaid work at home
With billions of dollars earmarked for “shovel ready” infrastructure and housing construction projects, the Australian government may be digging holes the economy cannot fill. In contrast, investments in highly feminised sectors, which represent some of the biggest areas of employment growth and which help take some of care load off individual households, are much more likely to pay off in terms of getting people back to work and in providing economic benefit.
Homelessness crisis: How Australia is failing older women
Twelve months ago, women over 55 were the single largest demographic group accessing welfare payments – over 100,000 women over 55 were on the then-Newstart payment and/or the Sickness Allowance.
And while the coronavirus crisis has seen a large increase in all demographics, the number of women over 55 on the now ‘JobSeeker’ rate has risen by over 60 per cent in the last year.
On average, women retire with just over half the superannuation savings than men do. But worse, one in three women retire with no super at all.
And this government’s early access super scheme will only exacerbate that problem, further depleting retirement savings.
Source: Homelessness crisis: How Australia is failing older women
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) Responds to Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL)
When you look at how much people actually take home, women still earn much less than men
The latest ATO taxation statistics show that women in 2017-18 made up a record number of the top 10% of income earners, but that good news is unable to mask that overall – whether in high or low-paid jobs – women continue to earn much less than men.
But the big difference is overall numbers. Women make up only 30% of workers in the top 30 paying occupations, but two-thirds of those working in the bottom 30 paying jobs.
And this brings us back to barristers. The average income for a barrister is $131,251, but the median income was just $45,376 – the second largest gap between the average and the median.
The median income for a male barrister in 2017-18 was $113,667, while for women it was a paltry $32,464.
Yes, women outnumber men at university. But they still earn less after they leave
Female university graduates are expected to earn 27% less than their male counterparts – A$750,000 – over their career, a 2019 study found.
As COVID-19 has laid bare, there is strong undercurrent in our society of devaluing “women’s” work even though that work is essential to the successful running of an economy. It’s a bitter pill to swallow.
And there’s the fact more women leave full-time work to bring up children. While the number of women staying in the workforce has increased in recent years thanks to a universal paid-parental leave scheme, at the age of 35 80% of men are engaged in the workforce full-time compared to only 40% of women.
Interestingly, the government’s proposed changes to tuition fee subsidies (with STEM courses costing less than most in the humanities) have attracted media attention in part because they look set to benefit men while negatively impacting women.
Women also have to contend with the gender pay gap, interrupted careers and fewer opportunities to enter leadership positions. Because they make the “choice” in a partnership to be the primary carer, women almost never make it up again financially when they go back into the workforce.
Source: Yes, women outnumber men at university. But they still earn less after they leave
Job sharing CEOs mark a huge opportunity for leadership & true part time work
Nicola Rivers and Elizabeth McKinnon have been jointly appointed as Co CEOs of Environmental Justice Australi, each will work part time.
“Co-leadership of EJA will significantly strengthen both the organisation and the broader environment movement,” says Elizabeth.
“It means two sets of skills, experiences, networks and passions,” adds Nicola. “It also means high quality decision making, super-charged brain power and elevated energy at the senior ranks of EJA. And it sets a positive example for our organisation, our movement and the broader public about female leadership and job-sharing at the leadership level.”
Source: Job sharing CEOs mark a huge opportunity for leadership & true part time work
The alarming erasure of black women in science textbooks
A new study surveying more than 1,000 names found in common biology textbooks in the US revealed that the most common scientists featured were white men, and that just over 13 percent were women.
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.
Source: The alarming erasure of black women in science textbooks
Former Justice Dyson Heydon sexually harassed 6 women, High Court finds
An independent inquiry has found Justice Dyson Heydon sexually harassed six young women as they worked as judge’s associates in the High Court of Australia.
The investigation was prompted after Josh Bornstein, Principal lawyer with Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, wrote to the Chief Justice and the Chief Executive of the Court in March 2019 notifying them of complaints of sexual harassment against Mr Heydon, as well as raising concerns about inadequate procedures within the High Court for addressing judicial misconduct.
Mr Bornstein said the investigation had unveiled a pattern of predatory behaviour and sexual harassment over many years by Mr Heydon towards young female associates he employed and highlighted a gap in both addressing judicial misconduct and protecting their employees from that misconduct.
“At the time that this sexual harassment occurred, Dyson Heydon was in his 60s, a conservative judge, a prominent Christian and a married man,” Mr Bornstein said.
Source: Former Justice Dyson Heydon sexually harassed 6 women, High Court finds – Lawyers Weekly
https://www.mauriceblackburn.com.au/about/media-centre/media-statements/2020/investigation-upholds-sexual-harassment-complaints-high-court-judge-dyson-heydon/