Professor Michelle Welsh,
Senior Deputy Dean (Faculty Operations)

When designing workplace programs to promote gender equity, we must focus on the lived experience and needs of our colleagues, and be mindful of differing individual circumstances, so that they all have an opportunity to thrive.

To thoroughly embrace equity we must accept that simply providing “equal opportunities” is no longer enough. We need to do more. We need to recognise that the circumstances of all women are not the same; and neither are the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.

And most importantly, once programs have been introduced, we need to take the time to evaluate them to see if they are meeting needs and facilitating equity in practice. And where our programs are not providing the opportunities and resources our colleagues need to thrive, we should change them. This is how we can truly #EmbraceEquity.

An important part of my portfolio as Senior Deputy Dean, Faculty Operations at Monash

Business School is the oversight of programs designed to promote equity, diversity and inclusion, including programs specifically targeted at promoting gender equity.

Such programs at the University and Business School / Faculty level include: The COVID-19 Disrupted Research Grants Scheme; the Advancing Women’s Success Grant; the Staff Mentoring Program; the Global Staff Mentoring Program and the grant writing program for Monash academic women.

At Monash Business School we are conscious of the need to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs, not only because this moves us closer to truly Embracing Equity, but it also contributes to the high standard of our research and education as a globally ranked institution.

I am very proud of the fact that a group of early to mid-career academics currently

taking part in our Dean’s Future Leaders Program are working on a survey of all staff in the Business School, to ascertain the degree to which these programs are in fact removing barriers and giving them a chance to thrive.

The data collected will identify where we need to do more. Because it is not enough to simply introduce gender equity programs.

We must evaluate their effectiveness regularly for the purpose of ensuring that we are doing everything we possibly can to give our women every opportunity to thrive; so that their personal efforts are able to drive their success, unhindered by structural barriers that would otherwise inhibit their ability to thrive. Only then do we truly #EmbraceEquity in the workplace.