ANSTO, Raytheon Australia, Science and Technology Australia and the University of Sydney have become the inaugural Champions of the Women in STEM Decadal Plan.
The plan, launched earlier this year by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and the Australian Academy of Science, provides a framework to guide the actions of government, industry, academia and the education sector over the next 10 years, to achieve gender equity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Organisations can become a champion by aligning their gender equity activities to the six opportunities outlined in the decadal plan and committing to providing an update on progress in their gender equity journey in 12 months.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews called on more organisations to become Women in STEM Decadal Plan Champions.
“Women make up 16 per cent of the STEM workforce in Australia, so help is needed to encourage more women to the STEM sector and keep them there,” Minister Andrews said.
“We need your support and we want to know what your organisation is doing and how we can help you bring about this much needed change.”
Dr Bruce Godfrey FTSE, Vice-President Diversity of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, said: “It’s tremendous to see the work by the two Academies – the original champions of this project – beginning to bear fruit.
“To become a champion, an organisation needs to align its gender equity activities with the plan’s six priorities: leadership and cohesion; evaluation; workplace culture; visibility; education; and industry action.
“I look forward to many more organisations accepting the challenge of change.”
To discover and collaborate with champions’ activities, to become a champion or for more information visit the STEM Women site.