Icelandic women to stop all paid and unpaid work in pay gap protest

Women in Iceland will participate in a ‘Women’s Day Off’ on Tuesday, striking over the nation’s gender pay gap and the prevalence of gender-based violence.

The full-day women’s strike will be the first of its kind in nearly 50 years, with Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir expected to participate. Organisations encourage women to stop all forms of work, whether paid or unpaid, in a workplace or the home.

Iceland has been ranked first on the World Economic Forum’s gender gap index for 14 years in a row — according to the latest Global Gender Gap Report, it is the only country in the world to have closed more than 90 per cent of its “gender gap”. Regarding political representation, Iceland has been led by a female head of state for 25 of the last 50 years, while more than two-fifth of its ministerial and parliamentary positions are held by women.

Source: Icelandic women to stop all paid and unpaid work in pay gap protest

Fat shamed, humiliated, groped: Swimming’s toxic abuse of women revealed

The dark secrets of Australian swimming’s sordid treatment of female athletes and coaches has been laid bare in the scathing independent review into the toxic culture of the sport.

The report, delivered in December 2021 just months after the swim team basked in the glow of their most successful Olympic Games in Tokyo, revealed women were subjected to physical and mental abuse, groping, disgusting sexual innuendo, body shaming and public humiliation.
Swimming Australia has steadfastly refused to release the full report, despite being urged by the panellists to come clean and share all their dirty secrets.
The investigators heard multiple reports of how skinfold tests and weigh-ins were used to body shame and publicly humiliate young female competitors, leading to eating disorders, self harm and athletes quitting the sport.
“I wasn’t naturally a thin girl and I starved myself because the coach told me my body would ‘look more palatable’ to selectors.”
Others were told:
“With an arse like that, you’ll never be a champion.”
“Your body looks like a sausage roll.”
“What am I going to do with your big f***ing hips.”
“You’re fat and that is why you are slow.”
“Lay off the dessert.”
The investigators did not hear one single positive report about any nutritionists. Every comment about nutritionists was considered negative, yet no action appears to have been taken.
Others complained how some domineering coaches would control every aspect of their female swimmer’s lives, from what they eat, to how they cut their hair, to the clothes they wear, even to what they post on their social media accounts.
“We were groomed to accept bullying as part of the culture.”
There were also numerous concerns submitted about coaches touching the bathers of swimmers, or constantly putting their arms around them, or standing directly behind them on the blocks when they were bent over ready to dive in the pool.
Although roughly half the competitors in the Australian team are female, Australia rarely, if ever selects female coaches for the national team.
“There is definitely a culture of male coaches protecting each other’s backs when it comes to unbecoming conduct, particularly when on Australian teams,” one female coach said.
“Male dominated environment on pool deck led to the rise of inappropriate behaviour from male squad mates, as inappropriate behaviour from male coaches was role-modelled to the male athletes. This led to female swimmers feeling as though they were vulnerable and felt unsafe to speak up about the behaviours.”
“With few female coaches around, the male coaches get very egotistical which starts the toxic boys club and has a hugely negative impact.

Source: Fat shamed, humiliated, groped: Swimming’s toxic abuse of women revealed

“Why Are There So Many Men?” : Women’s Computing Conference Flooded With Males As Activists Debate How To Identify One – Reduxx

 

A major networking conference focused on centering women in computing is facing backlash from some participants after a flood of males were allowed to attend, reportedly due to the event’s inclusivity policies.

Created in 1994 and inspired by the legacy of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, the AnitaB.org Grace Hopper Celebration purports to “bring the research and career interests of women in computing to the forefront.” While the conference was historically focused on women, recent developments in its gender inclusivity policy saw its branding open up to “non-binary” participants as well.

Similar sentiment was shared on Reddit as a conference attendee posted “why are there so many men at Grace Hopper?”

Posted two days ago, the user wrote: “I’m seeing entire groups of just men, at a conference that’s sole purpose is to give opportunities to WOMEN and non-binary individuals in a male dominated field. I attended last year and did not [see] any male identifying student attendees. This is genuinely infuriating.”

Source: “Why Are There So Many Men?” : Women’s Computing Conference Flooded With Males As Activists Debate How To Identify One – Reduxx

Sexual harassment overhaul targets offenders’ bonuses, pay rises

Bonuses and pay rises could be withheld from employees and managers behaving poorly as part of an armoury of tactics bosses can use to prevent workplace sexual harassment and discrimination under landmark new workplace laws.
From December, employers must act on a positive duty to stamp out sexual assault, harassment and similar discriminatory behaviour – or risk being named and shamed – as part of changes recommended by former sex discrimination commissioner Kate Jenkins’ landmark Respect@Work report.

Source: Sexual harassment overhaul targets offenders’ bonuses, pay rises

Female surgeons sexually assaulted while operating – BBC News

Female surgeons say they are being sexually harassed, assaulted and in some cases raped by colleagues, a major analysis of NHS staff has found.

Sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape have been referred to as surgery’s open secret.

There is an untold story of women being fondled inside their scrubs, of male surgeons wiping their brow on their breasts and men rubbing erections against female staff. Some have been offered career opportunities for sex.

Nearly two-thirds of women surgeons who responded to the researchers said they had been the target of sexual harassment and a third had been sexually assaulted by colleagues in the past five years.

Women say they fear reporting incidents will damage their careers and they lack confidence the NHS will take action.

Another theme that emerged in the data was a lack of faith in bodies such as NHS Trusts, the General Medical Council (which manages the UK’s register of doctors allowed to practice) and the Royal Colleges (which represent specialities in medicine) – to tackle the problem.

Source: Female surgeons sexually assaulted while operating – BBC News

Mutual Obligations & Women – Woman Going Places

‘Mutual obligations’ imposed on jobseekers are a rank misuse of public funds, ineffectual, and crippling in their consequences. The majority of those on Jobseeker are women aged over 50, so ‘mutual obligations’ affect them most. Rick Morton of The Saturday Paper disclosed that outsourced employment services providers are funnelling more than $40 million a year “in government funding earmarked for jobseekers through their own companies, related entities and labour-hire outfits, creating paper empires out of their impoverished clients.”

Source: Mutual Obligations & Women – Woman Going Places

Australian high school STEM curriculum pushes ‘lone male genius’ narrative

Dr Kat Ross says the lack of female representation across science curricula is alarming.

The achievements of Australian female scientists are less likely to appear in senior high school lessons despite millions of taxpayer dollars being spent attempting to channel more young women into STEM careers.

A study of curriculums for all major year 11 and 12 science subjects across the country has found only three states mention the work of a female scientist in their coursework – and she was from Britain.

It found Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory all refer to British chemist Rosalind Franklin, whose work was central to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA. Other states and the ACT exclusively reference the contributions of male scientists.

Lead researcher Dr Kat Ross became aware of the issue when she realised duel Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie – who did pioneering research in radioactivity – was missing from the NSW physics syllabus. That discovery led to a national study, which uncovered a lack of female representation across the board.

NSW referred to 36 men across the subjects and no women. South Australia and the Northern Territory also referred to 36 men but included a reference to Franklin. Victoria referred to no women but only three men.

Governments have spent more than $100 million to lift female participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) over the past decade, but results have barely budged. A government review released earlier this month showed the proportion of women in STEM-qualified occupations was only 15 per cent in 2022, up from 10 per cent in 2002.

Ross said the gender gap and general lack of diversity in science education, which commonly celebrated the “lone male genius”, probably fuelled low female participation in STEM.

Source: 12ft | Australian high school STEM curriculum pushes ‘lone male genius’ narrative

Equal Pay Day 2023 | WGEA

Equal Pay Day is on August 25, 2023.

In 1969 Australian women earnt the right to equal pay for equal work. But something is still missing.

On average, women in Australian earn less than men. This is called the gender pay gap.

Equal Pay Day marks the 56 additional days from the end of the financial year women must work to earn the same average pay.

How you can support Equal Pay Day 2023

Sometimes you don’t notice something until it is no longer there. This Equal Pay Day we’re encouraging everyone to get involved on social media and your websites.

Add WGEA’s countdown clock to your website

WGEA’s website now has an Equal Pay Day countdown clock on our homepage and the top of this page. 

You can add this clock to your own website to join our campaign.

Gender pay gap hits record low

Working women in Australia are still earning hundreds of dollars less per week than men.

Those employed in professional, scientific and technical services such as lawyers, accountants and scientists, face the highest pay gap at $498.20 per week.

Women working in healthcare services receive on average $437.80 less each week, despite making up 75 per cent of the workforce.

Workers in accommodation and food services and public administration have the smallest pay gap, at 6.0 per cent and 3.7 per cent.

Studies have shown that the gender gap increases as Aussie women get older, with the mean gender pay gap in super balances of non-retirees at around 60 per cent.

Source: Gender pay gap hits record low

Qantas pilot’s sexual harassment lawsuit takes hit – Lawyers Weekly

The Federal Court has struck out documents prepared by a female Qantas pilot who alleged the major airline created and maintained a workplace that is “hostile to women”.

Davida Forshaw’s allegations that her career was hindered by her male colleagues and she was subjected to sexual harassment took a blow on Wednesday (16 August) morning after Qantas successfully argued her amended statement of claim was not valid.

Justice John Snaden said no part of Ms Forshaw’s workplace culture plea is “salvageable” but allowed her to redraw her pleadings.

“It is, in its entirety, likely to cause prejudice, embarrassment or delay, and it fails to disclose a reasonable cause of action. It should (and will) be stuck out in its entirety,” Justice Snaden ordered.

In the amended statement of claim, Ms Forshaw made several damning allegations against Qantas, including that it denied her “quiet enjoyment of her profession” and required her to perform at a higher standard during training than male colleagues.

[ed: I hope she finds a good lawyer to help her.]

Source: Qantas pilot’s sexual harassment lawsuit takes hit – Lawyers Weekly