Vox Pops from Season 4
Women At Work
Having a favorite podcast episode is like having a favorite child, so officially I loved all conversations equally, and learned so much from all of the guests. Consistently the guests on Women at Work reject that notion that we need to fix the women and instead agree we need to fix systems and cultures. But while we wait for that to happen, we are individually trying to cobble together solutions and need support with that. What I want from this podcast is for you to feel less alone in the juggle. The topics this season ranged from leadership, to why confidence isn’t...
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Khayshie Tilak Ramesh on antiracism and changing the conversation
Women At Work
The first time Kayshie Tilak Ramesh experienced racism was in year three. Later, despite being born in Griffith, NSW and raised in Bendigo, VIC, when she was the multicultural youth commissioner she was asked to share her refugee story. Now, she’s changing systems, one conversation at a time. In this conversation, Khayshie will share her recent experiences representing Australia at the United Nations Commission on the Status of women, how workplaces represent our greatest opportunity for systemic change, and we’ll dig into conversations about meaningful antiracism. Khayshie’s resume is...
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Louise Baxter on the power of positivity at the Starlight Foundation
Women At Work
Louise Baxter had a very successful career in advertising, when she hit a moment of truth, and realised she wanted to do something more meaningful with her life. Fast forward, and Louise has now been CEO of Starlight Foundation for 16 years, proving through action (and results) that a culture of positivity doesn’t just feel good — it drives every business metric that matters. Under her leadership, Starlight has topped the AFR’s MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES list, landed in the Top 20 Great Places to Work, and built a workplace so relentlessly positive that one team member confessed she kept...
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Nareen Young on cultural load and authentic inclusion
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...
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Sophie McCarthy on financial independence and confidence through action
Women At Work
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...
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Leonora Risse: Beyond leaning in
Women At Work
In 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...
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Claire Harvey on why we work (when it’s so hard)
Women At Work
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...
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Libby Lyons: The gender super gap and taking risks in your career
Women At Work
If you look at Apolitical’s 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 started her career as a teacher, working her way all the way to Director of the workplace gender equality agency, to now – 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...
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Annika Freyer: Men as Allies
Women At Work
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 do, led by today’s guest, CEO . 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...
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Amanda Sterling: Fixing Cultures not Women
Women At Work
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...
info_outline*This summer we're re-releasing previous episodes that we loved. Here is Tracey Spicer episode from 2018*
Equality starts in the lounge room before the boardroom.
Tracey Spicer is a television presenter, journalist and author. Recently appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for her work in journalism and for her ambassadorships for social welfare and charitable organisations. She led the public voice of the #MeToo movement in Australia, breaking the Don Burke story. Tracey's lifelong passion is amplifying women's voices, and in today's conversation we discuss creating equality in the home and in the workplace.
We discuss:
- ½ of women experience pregnancy discrimination in the workplace
- Your job is to be prepared by finding out the state and federal legislation and creating a strategy
- The gender pay gap
- Tracey didn't ask for a pay rise for 14 years
- Now she says to always ask for more than you think you're worth
- The gender pay gap in her own household
- Do your research and keep notes
- Know when the best time to ask for a pay rise is
- Keep a detailed diary of positive feedback, so provide proof of your performance
- Know what the share price is, and what other people received as bonses
- Figure out a way to make sure everyone can benefit - it's not a zero sum game
- How we can change expectations in childhood, which may lead to different outcomes in the gender pay gap
- Having difficult conversations with your partner
- long term resentment is a huge risk to a relationship
- The 30% tipping point for sexual harassment, where it peaks and then drops off
- Quotas, targets and the inexistence of any true meritocracy
- There's no such thing as work-life balance
- Let's change the conversation so MEN are being asked how they manage it all
- Legislative changes that could be put in place to better support families
An invitation from Tracey:
- Sit down and write out the amount of time it takes you to do your hair, makeup, buy your work wardrobe, and do all the things that come with society's pressure on women to look a certain way
- Write down how much all of these things cost you financially
- Consider what else you can do with that money and time, and be deliberate about whether you want to keep spending it on meeting society’s unreasonable expectations of women's looks
- Have a think about these cultural expectation
- If you want, then slowly start to pare it back. See if you don't start to feel more authentic and truly yourself
Resources
We mention some resources throughout the conversation, here is where you can find links to them all!
Outspoken Women, for women who want to amplify their voices within the professional environment –
Tracey's book, Good Girl Stripped Bare
Tracey's TED Talk on the topic
Mental Load cartoon; Tracey suggests women need to have more difficult conversations with their husbands
Jamila Rizvi Not Just Lucky
Gender pay gap calculator
Amy Cuddy power poses
