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Women urged to work together

26 October 2005

Women will achieve more if they work together as links in a chain rather than as individuals, senior Monash women were told at a lunch last week.

Professor Rosemary Calder (seated) with Ms Kay Gardner, director of the Equity and Diversity Centre (standing), and Ms Barbara Dalton, also of Equity and Diversity.

The guest speaker, Monash alumnus and the former head of the Office of the Status of Women Professor Rosemary Calder, told the audience she had realised over the years that women did not help each other enough.

"Many women who do arrive at the top have a strong sense that there is only room for one woman because we haven't changed that culture yet," she said. "And we have a long way to go in changing that culture and supporting leadership."

But she praised Monash for its support of women and its work/life philosophy. She said events such as networking lunches, senior women's registers and mentoring programs went a long way to actively supporting individuals in the collective.

Now an adjunct professor in the School of Political and Social Inquiry where she works on research projects and contributes to the mentoring of postgraduate students, Professor Calder was head of the Office of the Status of Women in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet from 2000 until 2003.

She is also the director of PPR Consulting, which provides policy, planning and review expertise in health and social policy and services to government, business and community.

The Equity and Diversity Centre organised the lunch, which was attended by more than 70 academic and general staff.

The Senior Women's Register is for women at HEW 8 and above and Level C and above. Full details are available at the Senior Women's Register website. The Equity and Diversity Centre is about to start the annual update of this register where it invites women at these levels to register their details.