Engineering greater gender diversity a priority for Monash
Professor Ana Deletic
Gender diversity continues to be a challenge in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) disciplines. According to a Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) report, women comprise just 11.8 per cent of Australia’s engineering workforce.
Determined to play a proactive role in supporting gender diversity in STEMM, Monash University has forged ahead with its efforts to encourage greater participation by women in engineering.
Created and hosted by Monash Engineering, the Future Women Leaders Conference (26 – 27 November) will bring together 48 outstanding female engineering researchers from Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia. The two-day conference will give post-doctorate engineers, lecturers and current PhD candidates support and practical information about how to manage the specific pressures faced by female academic engineers.
Faculty of Engineering Associate Dean of Research, Professor Ana Deletic, said the workshop, which is proudly supported by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering, will feature inspiring stories from successful women engineers.
"The Future Women Leaders Conference is the first of its kind - a two-day workshop for outstanding female engineering researchers from across the country, focussing on inspiring women in engineering to pursue an academic career, as well as providing an opportunity for them to learn from the success of their female engineer counterparts," Professor Deletic said.
Head of Chemical Engineering, Professor Karen Hapgood, who is co-chairing the Future Women Leaders Conference with Professor Deletic, added, "We're truly excited about this gathering and see it as a fundamental step in increasing diversity in engineering”.
Speakers will include Monash Provost & Senior Vice-President, Professor Edwina Cornish, Professor Karen Hapgood, Professor Ana Deletic, and Victorian Government Lead Scientist Ms Leonie Walsh. Attendees have been selected from an elite pool of female engineering researchers, who are in the critical post-doctoral stage of their careers. It is during this post-doctoral stage when the gender gap in engineering fields widens significantly; a trend Monash Engineering is eager to reverse.
Monash Engineering’s efforts to improving gender diversity among engineering researchers is part of the University’s strong commitment to gender equity. The University is proud to be an inaugural member of the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) pilot of the Athena SWAN Charter to improve gender equity practices, representation and retention in STEMM disciplines.
The University’s industry-leading commitment to gender equity in senior academic and leadership roles led to its nomination for the Australian Human Resources Institute Hon. Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO Award for Gender Equity in the Workplace. Monash is also honoured to once again receive the prestigious Workplace Gender Equality Agency Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation.