Monash University > News and Events > Monash Memo

Ancora Imparo, April 2007

4 April 2007

I was delighted to hear recently that Monash University has been named as one of 131 organisations and 23 universities Australia-wide receiving a citation as "2007 Employer of Choice for Women" by the Australian Government's Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency.

Monash is one of only 38 organisations and five universities which have been included every year since the citations began in 2000-01. This record is a tribute to the University's Equal Opportunity Committee, chaired by Colin Bourke, and the University's Equity and Diversity Centre headed by Kay Gardner. I would also like to acknowledge the work of Barbara Dalton who is the Coordinator of the Women's Leadership and Advancement Scheme. I have the privilege of chairing the Vice-Chancellor's Taskforce on the Advancement of Women and I will address some of the issues faced by this committee and some of the strategies and initiatives that have been adopted.

The "Inclusive Practices Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Plan 2005-2010" has recently been revised and it provides a fuller description of the strategies to achieve equal opportunity for women at Monash University. It will shortly be available through the Equity and Diversity Centre website.

Our parental leave conditions are amongst the very best in Australia, providing real choice for women who seek time at home with their baby and for mothers who wish to return to work and receive financial help towards childcare. New wording around promotions requirements makes it easier for relevant circumstances, including parenting responsibilities, to be taken into account.

Two programs have been developed to support women to gain the knowledge and confidence to achieve senior academic and administrative positions. One is the mentoring program, the other a senior women's leadership shadowing program. These programs are offered in alternating years. The shadowing program was offered for the first time in 2006 with 10 women selected. The feedback from both the "shadowers" and our "leaders in action" was extremely positive.

A vexed issue is the question of gender-balance on decision-making bodies. The University has a policy of attempting to achieve gender balance and a requirement for a minimum of one third of the less-represented gender on university decision-making bodies, such as promotion and appointment committees, unless this requirement is specifically waived. The unfortunate consequence of this well-intentioned policy is that women in senior posts are called upon, to an unreasonable degree, to sit on such bodies to the extent that many feel that it impinges on their capacity to fulfil their teaching commitments and to reach their full potential in research.  Obviously, as the number of women in senior posts rises, this will cease to be a problem, but in the meantime, different views are being sought in an attempt to address the problem.

In recent years, women have fared better in promotion rounds than men, especially at senior levels -- that is a higher percentage of women who apply are successful.  Unfortunately, the number of women applying for promotion to senior positions is relatively low. These two statistics may mean that women are delaying their applications for promotion unduly. Our performance management system and mentoring programs should specifically address this issue.

It is very pleasing that there has been a steady and quite substantial increase in the number and percentage of women in senior academic posts (level E and above, 9.8 per cent in 2000 to 17.1 per cent in 2005) and administrative posts (HEW 10 and above, 34.2 per cent in 2000 to 43.3 per cent in 2005). Women in 2005 occupied one quarter of all senior positions in the University compared with 16.0 per cent in 2000 -- still far too low but a big move in the right direction.

It should be emphasised that our policies are not about advantaging women artificially. They must not be tokenistic or paternalistic. The issue is to recognise that there are both social and historical impediments that make it more difficult for women of equal ability to achieve recognition and reward for that ability. As well as being an equal opportunity matter, it is an important issue for the University in our efforts to become one of the best universities in the world. More than half the current university graduates are women. We must provide an environment where these women can be encouraged and supported to achieve their academic and administrative potential. This will be to the benefit of the women themselves and the University.