Why this eight-person panel is all male

That’s what happened this morning at the 2017 International Women & Law Enforcement Conference in Cairns, during its Australian Commissioners’ Panel. The event features 1000 delegates from over 60 countries — and plenty of excellent female speakers. . . . No women were included on the panel at the international women’s event, because we have no female police commissioners.

https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/spotted-male-panel-featuring-eight-men/

Why working women are more stressed than ever & how to manage it

A survey of over 26,000 Australian professionals shows that over a quarter of women experience chronic stress symptoms as opposed to less than an eighth of men.

Springfox’s Chief Knowledge Officer, Peta Sigley, says this is due, in part, to the unique challenges that women face, particularly when they are the primary caregiver in the family, and also in the workforce. The fact that 82% of Australia’s single parent families are headed by women is relevant, as is the fact that, according to Sigley, an inadequate number of workplace measures address the needs of this group.

https://womensagenda.com.au/leadership/advice/why-working-women-are-more-stressed-than-ever/

Striking early childhood educators are raising issues that affect all of us. They must be supported

It’s paid badly precisely because women do it

The now decade old EOC research found that one of the reasons work traditionally done by women is undervalued is precisely because it is done by women, and, therefore, closely associated with stereotypical ideas about women in caring roles. The women in these jobs are perceived as ‘naturally’ good at the job, with insufficient investment in or recognition of their skills.

And the report highlighted that when a profession previously dominated by men, such as banking, clerical work or teaching, is opened-up to large numbers of women, the status and pay decreases. Working in a female dominated occupation is more detrimental to your pay than being a woman per se – simply being employed in a female dominated occupation can reduce your pay by as much as 9 percent.

This is the quite simple point the striking early childhood educators are trying to make. And they are right. This kind of thinking about the work that women do and the industries where they are overrepresented is a significant driver of the remaining pay gap.

https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/soapbox/need-support-striking-early-childhood-educators-raising-important-issues-affect-us/

http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/childcare-educators-make-their-case-for-much-higher-pay-20160909-grcqvc.html

126 major companies still can’t find women for executive leadership line roles

For years we’ve been celebrating the painstakingly slow shift in the number of women on the boards of ASX 200 companies.

While 13 such boards still do not have a single woman, many are now cracking the 30% female board director mark thanks to sustained, public pressure.

But the story’s much different when it comes to the number of women in executive teams.

In 2017, 126 companies do not have women in the line roles of their executive leadership teams, according to new research released by Chief Executive Women today, based on online research conducted in August 2017.

https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/126-major-companies-still-cant-find-women-executive-leadership-line-roles/

Hannah Mouncey AFL Women’s AFLW Draft hope and Jillian Bearden is first transgender athlete in U.S. pro cycling

Mouncey, 27, represented Australia in the men’s handball side that attempted to qualify for the Rio Olympics before transitioning into a female.

She has already trialled for AFLW clubs including Melbourne and has interest from several Victorian sides given her powerful 100kg, 190cm physique.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/aflw/hannah-mouncey-could-be-secret-weapon-for-aflw-club-next-year-after-strong-season-in-canberra/news-story/a67db1032bdf7aace62cc6df75266ca7

On Thursday, when Bearden saddles up with the world’s best female cyclists for the Colorado Classic in her hometown of Colorado Springs, she will be the first transwoman to race with a pro peloton in the United States. Thanks to recently relaxed International Olympic Committee rules governing transgender athletes, and USA Cycling’s embrace of those new rules, Bearden has become a beacon for transathletes across the globe.

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/08/07/first-female-transgender-pro-cyclist-colorado-classic-2017/

‘Fed up with fantasies for male teenagers’: fixing the depiction of women in games

In an industry worth just under $3bn in Australia alone, more than 70% of Australians play video games and just under half of players are women. Yet games remain – in narrative terms at least – very much a man’s world. With men traditionally dominating industry positions as writers, artists and creators, female lead characters have been few and far between.

“Traditionally, women have been sidekicks, sexual objects or the prize that you win at the end,” states Katryna Starks, an associate lecturer in serious games at the University of the Sunshine Coast. “I would advocate for games that star women as having their own story where they are actually doing something – solving a mystery, going out in space.”

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/sep/06/fed-up-with-fantasies-for-male-teenagers-fixing-the-depiction-of-women-in-games?

The stats to know this Equal Pay Day

Right now the gender pay gap is 15.3% according to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), based on ABS stats.

That means men working full-time are earning an average $251.20 more than women working full-time.

Equal Pay Day marks the additional time from the end of the past financial year that women must work in order to earn the same yearly salary as men.

Making the announcement on the eve of Equal Pay Day, childcare workers across the country will walk off their jobs on Thursday the 7th of September at 3:20pm– signalling the time of day that they effectively start working for free due to low wages.

Early childcare educators in Australia continue to face appalling conditions. They typically earn a meagre $21 an hour– half the wage of the average Australian. This is despite the fact early childcare educators spend anywhere between 18 months and 4 years, qualifying for their positions.

Moreover, the industry is heavily dominated by women.

https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/stats-know-equal-pay-day/
https://womensagenda.com.au/politics/local/childcare-workers-walk-off-job-largest-national-protest/

Don’t let equal pay slide down your list of priorities!

It’s countdown to Equal Pay Day, which falls on September 4th this year. Equal Pay Day marks the additional time from the end of the previous financial year that women must work to earn the same as men.

Two weeks ago, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency reported that the gender pay gap is ever so slightly down this year by .9%. It now sits at 15.3%. A full time working man is $251.20 better off per week than a woman. Earlier this year, the WGEA suggested that at the current rate of change, it would take 50 years of more to sort it.

. . . why not get rid of ‘pay gag clauses’ so employees can freely talk about their salaries without fear of punishment. Last year, Greens Senator Larissa Waters introduced a private members bill to do just that, claiming employers were using the practice to mask unfair pay decisions and punishing women who ask for pay equity.

I would also suggest you lend your support to United Voice Union, who are bringing a potentially precedent setting case to the Fair Work Commission on behalf of underpaid child care workers. They want to demonstrate that early childhood educators are underpaid compared to male dominated professions with similar qualifications.

https://www.facebook.com/ABCTV/videos/10159041956825543/
https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/soapbox/dont-let-equal-pay-slide -list-priorities-succumb-fatigu/
https://www.wgea.gov.au/sites/default/files/2017-epd-social-media-pack.pdf
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/calls-for-parliament-to-remove-pay-secrecy-to-close-gender-pay-gap-20160311-gngere.html

Men still dominate managerial positions. The excuses are running out

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals that management of Australian businesses is dominated by men to an extent that far outweighs the level of men and women in the total workforce. Given the increased number of women staying in the workforce through their 20s and 30s, the reasons for such a disparity are quickly fading.

In no industry is the share of male managers less than the share of male employees. In some cases the disparity is huge. In the healthcare sector, men account for just 22% of all employees, but for 56% of all managers. Just under half of all employees in the real estate services industry are men, but they make up just over three-quarters of the managers.

Even in the retail industry – which is one of the few where a majority of workers are women – big business managers are more likely to be men than across all industries.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2017/aug/29/men-still-dominate-managerial-positions-the-excuses-are-running-out?

Did business leaders just pledge not to violate the most basic equal pay principle, & we’re happy about it?

Last week, 122 Australian business leaders publicly committed to closing the gender pay gap in like-for-like roles within their organisations. To support others to do the same, Male Champions of Change released an accompanying resource, the Closing the Gender Pay Gap Report . According to the press release, it offers a step-by-step guide to ensure “equal pay for equal work”.

The Diversity Council’s “sex discrimination” category, however, accounts for lots of different kinds of sex discrimination, including pregnancy, passing over women for promotions or not interviewing them for top jobs in the first place — not just like-for-like pay differences.

It’s a myth peddlars would much prefer it if we didn’t broaden the debate and tackle all those other thorny issues, like the undervaluing of women’s work, or the fact that women shoulder the lion’s share of caring responsibilities. You know, the kinds of things that legal precedent can’t necessarily tackle, but where culture and structural change is needed.

https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/soapbox/australian-business-leaders-just-pledge-not-violate-basic-equal-pay-principle-happy/