Do STEMM leaders have the gender competence for change?

Many STEMM leaders have expressed a commitment to overcoming the gender inequality that stubbornly persists across the sector. But do they have the gender competency needed to drive change in their organisations?

This free, hybrid face-to-face/online seminar will present recently published findings from RMIT researchers Professor Kay Latham (Dean, STEMM Diversity and Inclusion) and Associate Professor Robyn Barnacle, including much-needed insights into:

• the competency of STEMM leaders to act as change agents: Do leaders understand the nature and scope of the problem, or are misapprehensions hampering their efforts?
• what resistance to gender equality looks like in STEMM: What are the behaviours minimising the significance of the problem and reinforcing the status quo?

The event will be introduced by Libby Lyons, SAGE Chair and former Director of the Australian Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

This research draws on detailed data from a qualitative, cross-sectoral study of 20 prominent Australian STEMM leaders, who were asked to examine their perceptions of gender inequality, sexual harassment, sex discrimination and gender bias within their organisations.

The presenters will suggest supports needed by leaders to achieve their gender equality commitments, including specific leadership programs, diagnostic tools and strategies for combatting and harnessing resistance.

Join us for a deep dive into what leaders do and don’t know about gender equality.