It is a sad fact that today in 2016, you are more likely to meet a board chair called “Peter” than a female board chair. Only 22% of Board appointees are women, although this has increased from 9% a few years ago. In Australia, a recent report showed that men in full time jobs were paid 15.4% more than women in full time jobs. In Western Australia, another report showed the gender pay gap is 25.3%, the worst state in Australia.
Achieving equality in the workplace is not just the right thing to do, it makes economic sense. Above and beyond the obvious and outrageous discrimination (systemic, implied, institutional, cultural…) is a case that we are only “fishing in shallow waters” if we ignore and keep down the majority (now 50.8%) of the population – women. The GDP foregone every year in Australia is assessed to be 20%, or around $300 billion.
This week I listened to the former Sex Discrimination Commissioner (and former lawyer and NSW Businesswoman of the Year) Elizabeth Broderick talk on these issues.
“In Australia today,” she says, “there are 1.4 million women suffering physical violence at home.”
1.4 million women. Domestic violence, which also includes exclusion, continual verbal and emoitonal attacks affects an even larger.
One solution? Get the people with the power (men) to act.
Male Champions of Change is an attempt to do just that. Men champion the changes in the home and at work, because this needs to be as much as male movement as a women one…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA3pCCiRp4g]
I also attended the launch of Springboard this week, a US-based accelerator for women entrepreneurs. It’s been going 4 years in Australia, and 3 in WA, and some of the excellent people who have taken part in recent years were interviewed about their experiences since going through the Springboard program (see photo above).
Most have either raised money or are in the process of doing so, and have had their businesses accelerate dramatically since leaving the program. Sharon Grosser from SEQTA and Louise Daw from MiPlan were on the program in 2013, and I remember they graced the cover of Business News along with Wanida from MagnePath, being the first time 3 women made the cover in its 23 year history. I’ve been following their progress with interest every since.
A 3-month accelerator for women in (mainly) tech startups is a great way to get women more actively involved and promoted. All other accelerators I’ve been too have had, by sheer weight of numbers, a preponderance of men, usually single and their 20s and 30s.
At Springboard, only 8 women are selected from across Australia every year (WA has been well represented recently with 5 in the last 2 years alone) and more information on 2016 applications can be found here or here. Applications are now open, and close on March 30th. The Bootcamp itself is run in Sydney and will take place from 16 – 18 May 2016 followed by 8 weeks of mentoring before the accelerator culminates in a pitch night for investors. { If anyone requires more information, they can contact Sheryl Frame or the CEO in Sydney Elisa-Marie Dumas.}
Whether it’s tech startups, boards or any type of business, we have to do far more to encourage women to reach the upper levels of organisations. My best two managers (by far) over my 30 year career have both been women. Women tend to have less ego, are more nurturing of their teams, but can be as steely and tough as the next man. In study after study, women leaders come out on top. A 2012 Harvard Business Review report showed women are better business leaders than men on pretty much all elements, not just traditionally ‘female’ ones.
It’s time to make some changes.
When I look at my own organisation, I see the top CEO is male (me), but 60% of our executive team are female as are half the managers, half the sales teams, and all the corporate services team.
We can’t lose!
