NTEU WOMEN’S MAGAZINE

Www.NTEU.org.au/women Holding the line women’s conference and bluestocking week 2013

eeo in practice did julia make a difference? feminism in australian universities workplace gender equality act women rock science

ISSN 1839-6186 Volume 21 September 2013 NATIONAL TERTIARY EDUCATION UNION MEMBERSHIP FORM  I want to join NTEU  I am currently a member and wish to update my details The information on this form is needed for aspects of NTEU’s work and will be treated as confidential. Women’s Action Committee (WAC) YOUR PERSONAL DETAILS The NTEU Women’s Action Committee (WAC) develops the Union’s TITLE |SURNAME |GIVEN NAMES work concerning women and their professional and employment rights. HOME ADDRESS The WAC meets twice a year. Its role includes: • Act as a representative of women members at the National level. CITY/SUBURB |STATE |POSTCODE • To identify, develop and respond to matters affecting women. HOME PHONE WORK PHONE INCL AREA CODE | INCL AREA CODE | MOBILE • To advise on recruitment policy and resources directed at women. • To advise on strategies and structures to encourage, support and EMAIL |DATE OF BIRTH | MALE  FEMALE  OTHER ______facilitate the active participation of women members at all levels of the NTEU. HAVE YOU PREVIOUSLY BEEN AN NTEU MEMBER?  YES: AT WHICH INSTITUTION? |ARE YOU AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL/TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER?  YES

• To recommend action and advise on issues affecting women. PLEASE USE MY HOME ADDRESS FOR ALL MAILING YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYMENT DETAILS  WAC Delegates 2013-2014 • To inform members on industrial issues and policies that impact on women. INSTITUTION/EMPLOYER |CAMPUS Aca Academic staff representative • To make recommendations and provide advice to the National Exec- MAIL/ FACULTY DEPT/SCHOOL G/P General/Professional staff representative utive, National Council, Division Executives and Division Councils on | |BLDG CODE industrial, social and political issues affecting women. POSITION CLASSIFICATION STEP/ ANNUAL MONTH NEXT | LEVEL LECTB, HEW4 | INCREMENT | SALARY | INCREMENT DUE National President • Monitor and review the effectiveness of issues, policies and structures IF KNOWN Jeannie Rea, [email protected] affecting women. 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Cover: Julie-Anne Foster (USC) with the 2013 Bluestocking Week poster, part of the Women Vote Smart video shot at Women’s Conference. Photo by Terri MacDonald. WWW.NTEU.ORG.AU/WOMEN

Volume 21, September 2013

women, work & careers 15 aunty kerrie doyle graduates editorial Dr Kaye Broadbent and Professor Glenda from oxford 25 Standing with uppity women 2 Strachan’s research investigates the difference in a step in the right direction 26 NTEU National President Jeannie Rea. positions men and women occupy in universities. The ins and outs of the new Workplace Gender Equality Act. NEWS The alarming state of women’s gender pay gap competition WOMEN’S CONFERENCE safety on campus 28 winning guess a woeful $8500 3 The NUS Talk About It survey revealed some har- rowing figures of women’s life on campus. Extra paid leave breakthroughs on Domestic Violence clauses 4 Conference report 16 more women than men in A wrap-up of two busy days in June at our bien- insecure jobs 4 nial Women’s Conference. MY CAREER creative campaigning 18 USYD Casuals Network members Claire Parfitt and Sharni Chan delivered a workshop on how bluestocking week to organise in imaginative ways. carole ferrier: fighting the good fight for forty years 30 singing for solidarity 19 Carmel Shute interviews Carole Ferrier, Professor Lyrics from the singing workshop. of Literature and Women’s Studies at UQ. Holding the Line 5 anti-bullying 19 carol johnson 32 A round up of the myriad of Bluestocking Week A workshop to help address an issue that has events at NTEU branches across the country. Helena Spyrou interviews Professor Carol John- become endemic in higher education. son, an expert in Australian politics. What do you do? I don’t mean your job 20 WOMEN IN Women’s Conference delegates tell us about their LEADERSHIP lives away from the campus. science first timers 22 Katie, Wendy and Beth describe their first NTEU Women’s Conference experiences. still a chilly climate for women chicks can’t code 34 leaders in universities 8 ‘Brogrammers’ think women and computers don’t NTEU National President Jeannie Rea argues mix, but was it always this way? that the chilly climate in universities encour- ages ambivalence in aspiring to and supporting feminism, indigenous women rock science 34–35 women in leadership roles. & equality Hedy Lamarr invented wifi, and other true stories of how women have always rocked science. gender equity in universities 10 Andrea Brown gives a practitioner’s perspective of EEO in higher education. Feminism in Australian Did Julia Gillard make a universities 23 difference for women & Girls? 12 Gender studies courses are not faring well in book review Katie Wilson reports on the posing of this ques- Australian universities. tion at NTEU 2013 Women’s Conference. strategies for inclusivity 24 Nz’s gender equity myth 14 Creating universities more inclusive of Indigenous brilliant women 36 It has a reputation for women leaders, but this women. Review of Brilliant Women: 18th Century Blue- is not ‘evidence’ that New Zealand has solved stockings by Eger and Peltz. gender discrimination, says Suzanne McNabb. editorial standing with

jeannie rea uppity women [email protected] The choice of women and leadership as the theme for the NTEU’s biennial national women’s conference this year was not at all surprising considering that the conference was organised as we witnessed the polit- ical destruction of Australia’s first woman prime minister. However we judged her political performance we could not ignore that her gender was the canvas for unremitting attack. Turning to higher education, it seemed that women were also copping it for getting too uppity.

The Gillard Government’s $2.3 billion cuts are continually made to do more with less. to universities and students to help fund The message is clear; women must make do the school reform package stunned not with less. only university students and staff, but the While women general staff have done well broader community. Universities immedi- in recent years in breaking through into ately responded by accepting the cuts and more senior positions, the reality is that announced plans to axe jobs and courses. many women are still in jobs with few pros- In an environment of increasing class sizes pects – although hopefully successful enter- and decreasing access to staff, it seemed prise bargaining outcomes will enable some that the new generation of students were career advancement. Academic women, like not considered deserving of the high quality many of their male colleagues, suffer the university experience of their forebears. continual stress of meeting unrealistic work- And even while there are more women Women staff and students could not ignore load expectations and research outputs, students on campus, shamefully campuses that this was happening as more women under the threat of losing their jobs. Others are not safe for women. Lorelei Links’ article than men were studying and working in cannot even get into secure positions and will probably shock many readers, who universities. The so called efficiency dividend out of casualised teaching. Again, hopefully may have assumed that decent behaviour would cut into the support for students from the scholarly teaching positions in the new by men towards women was pretty much financially disadvantaged backgrounds, enterprise agreements will assist in creat- the norm and expectation at universities. Indigenous students and those with disabili- ing new secure jobs, but we will also have The levels of violence perpetrated by some ties. The abolition of the Student Start-up to keep a careful watch that these teaching male students on some campuses towards Scholarships would make it harder for those focussed roles don’t become feminised, women – and the silence – cannot be already struggling to stay at university. while men continue into the research jobs. tolerated. The NTEU will work with NUS As long as research is privileged over teach- and the universities on campus safety and The Labor Government had promised to ing, this is a concern. respect for women. repair the damage of the previous Coalition government and also open up university to While women are distinguishing themselves The success of our second Bluestocking previously underrepresented sections of the in research, the prestigious research grants Week has cemented the second week of community. But they allocated funding and and positions are still very much a male August as an annual event. All sorts of then kept cutting it back - $4 billion since dominated terrain. Women in academic activities were held across many campuses, 2011. As the Coalition again takes govern- research have be brave and persistent as despite the potential to be crowded out by ment our universities are open to many Carol Johnson and Carole Ferrier’s career the federal election campaign and enter- more students, but already starved of funds. stories featured in this edition teach us. prise bargaining negotiations and industrial campaigns at many universities. Again Blue- In an even more conservative climate there And we applaud Kerrie Doyle, the first stocking Week provided both an oppor- is much reason for concern by women in Indigenous Australian woman to graduate tunity to come together and reflect upon universities. The continual course cutbacks from Oxford University. Our universities achievements and to rally our energies for are falling disproportionately on disciplinary remain tough places for Indigenous women ongoing campaigns. This year’s theme was areas where women predominate as staff and men as staff and students as Celeste ‘holding the line’. We were responding to and students. Not only are courses favoured Liddle writes. Making campuses culturally NUS’s slogan ‘our blue stockings are on the by and focused upon women cut, as Sharon safe is critical and it is Indigenous women line’. Well, they certainly are now – so we Bickle discusses in her article on Gender that have been taking on more than their will have to hold that line tight. Studies, but also funding is cut back in share of responsibility for this. Non-Indig- feminised areas. Education and health sci- enous women must listen, learn and stand Jeannie Rea is NTEU National President and editor ences, even while graduates are in demand, with them. of Agenda.

2 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 NEWS gender pay gap competition winning guess a woeful $8500 determining the gap The NTEU does not have access to the full salary During Bluestocking Week, the NTEU ran a competition asking members to data for all universities. Therefore, the figures for guess the gender pay equity gap by annual salary for general staff at their our gender pay gap competition were estimates university. Dr Natalie Edwards won the competition with the closest guess, based on the best available data. $8,500: the actual gap at the University of Adelaide is $8,364. While pleased to have won a book voucher for her guess, Dr Edwards said she The gender pay gap has been calculated by was disappointed about the magnitude of the gap. So are we! using the current rates of pay for each classifica- tion in the relevant Agreement (generally the The NTEU investigated the average gender pay gap for universities and 2nd highest incremental step), and determining found there is still an averaged gap for general staff of 8.7% despite all the a weighted average based upon the distribution industrial and policy based gender equity measures. This is calculated by of male and female employees in the classifi- examining the difference between the average annual salaries of women cation structure, as reported for 2012 in the and men at full time rates (see article at right for the methodology). The Government’s higher education staff statistics University of Notre Dame has the widest gender pay gap, but of the larger collections. universities, Victoria and La Trobe have the widest gaps. In respect of staff at level 10 and those This is inexcusable. Universities should be exemplars of equitable practice. described as ‘Senior Executive’, the calculations The number of women in senior general staff positions has doubled over the include an average ‘loading’ of 5% and 25% last 15 years, but only 26% of women are at HEW 8 and above, compared respectively above the Agreement rate for Level to 41% of men. This is still a significant achievement, due to the efforts of 10, to attempt to reflect the reality of actual rates the women themselves, but also because of enforceable bargaining clauses, of pay at these levels. The calculations do not gender equity programs, policies and structural changes that work against include casual staff, as there is no reliable data. systemic and cultural discrimination. Our current key enterprise bargaining It is highly probable that the gender pay gap is claims on general staff careers, and for academic staff on workloads and higher than our estimate, because market and the new scholarly teaching fellow positions, are tangible strategies that can other loadings above Agreement rates tend to be contribute to addressing women’s gendered employment inequity. distributed disproportionately to men, and our In November 2012, the gender pay gap in Australia stood at calculations assume that all staff at Levels 1-9 are 17.6%. The average weekly ordinary time earnings for on the Agreement rate and do not women working fulltime was $261.60 per week less receive such loadings. than men. In the last 18 years the pay gap has increased not decreased. Equal Pay Day was 20% held on 3 September this year, the 65th day of the financial year, indicat- ing the day women catch up to men’s earnings of the previous year. this is the GENDER PAY GAP for 15% general staff at your university

10%

5%

0 UC VU UQ MQ JCU UTS ECU CSU SCU USC SYD ACU QUT CQU USQ CDU UNE ANU UWS NEW UWA UOW RMIT UTAS SWIN MELB UNDA UNISA UNSW CURTIN DEAKIN GRIFFITH MONASH LA TROBE FLINDERS ADELAIDE BALLARAT MURDOCH

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 3 NEWS more women than men in Extra paid leave insecure jobs More women than men in Australia continue to work in jobs that provide breakthroughs on less security and stability, according to the latest Gender Indicators report of the Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released on 27 August. Twenty two per cent of female employees and 17 per cent of male employees Domestic Violence were in casual work without the stability of leave entitlements in November 2012. This situation remains largely unchanged since November 2008. This difference between men and women was apparent across all age groups up to clauses 64 years of age. In July 2013, the NTEU and Swinburne University agreed The Gender Indicators report is updated every six months and brings together on a breakthrough clause to support employees affected a variety of ABS and non-ABS data to look at the differences between men and by domestic violence by including five days leave specifi- women, and how these differences are changing over time. cally to deal with domestic/family violence matters in the Sixty five per cent of women are in the paid workforce compared to 79 per forthcoming enterprise agreement. This was a very signifi- cent of men. Only 13.6 per cent of men work part-time compared to 43.3 cant improvement upon clauses achieved at other university per cent, many doing so to accommodate carer responsibilities. sites to that date – and a first in Australia. It provided impetus to other NTEU Branches currently prosecuting bargaining and Women care for children for eight and half hours a day while men only has been welcomed by other unions and the ACTU as it will spend three. Women are also twice as likely to be providing primary bolster campaigns and negotiations in other industries. care to a person with a disability. Over 42 per cent of women reported always or often feeling rushed or pressed for time, compared to 35 per Since then two other Victorian universities are currently favourably cent of men – which is also a very significant proportion. considering unlimited leave. The University of Sydney has agreed to 20 days leave. Only 3.5 per cent of CEOs in the top 200ASX companies are women. Women were only 29 per cent of federal parliamentar- When the WAC proposed to the 2012 National Bargaining Confer- ians and 30.9 per cent of judges and magistrates. Women ence that there be a mandatory claim on domestic violence but not a though are faring better on Commonwealth boards at 38.4 mandatory settlement point, it was specifically to try and achieve this type per cent and are now 39.2 per cent of APS senior and of outcome. With the NTEU’s past record of pushing through paid parental middle managers. leave provisions in collective agreements, there is an expectation from within the union, and from other unions, that the NTEU would take on a leadership role And for all this effort women still get less than a third of in negotiating breakthroughs on matters that were originally considered outside the Order of Australia Awards, but live longer. of industrial agreements. The WAC’s strategy was to encourage branches that Source: Gender Indicators (cat. no. 4125.0), avail- were interested and believed there was/is an interest by the university in pursuing able at www.abs.gov.au these matters to negotiate hard for leading outcomes, rather than having a lower level and more achievable sector wide mandatory settlement point. The campaign has gained momentum and achieved attention at the United Nations. Over one million Australian workers are now covered by agreements with provisions to assist people dealing with domestic violence. The first negotiated NTEU provision around domestic violence was at UNSW in the previous bargaining round. UNSW insisted that the provisions operate in policy and so they were not part of the Agreement. At CQU in late 2012 the NTEU achieved provisions to support employees, but was unable to gain additional paid leave. However, staff will be able to access current leave and additional leave without pay, make flexible working arrangements and have assistance to change their working arrangements. Hopefully, most agreements will achieve at least these provisions. But NTEU Branches should be aiming for dedicated additional paid leave. To assist, NTEU has produced printed material and a PowerPoint slide show for Branches to use for internal education and with their management teams. The support of the Australian Domestic & Family Violence Clearinghouse (ADFVC) has been critical to prosecuting this campaign throughout Australia and members have worked closely with NTEU negotiators. The NTEU is very disap- vote smart vid pointed that funding for the Domestic Violence and the Workplace project has not been renewed, and will work with other unions to look for ways to keep at At the 2013 Women’s Conference, mem- least part of this work going. www.austdvclearinghouse.unsw.edu.au bers took part in the making a fabulous video for our Vote Smart campaign. View it Jeannie Rea, National President online at www.youtube.com/user/nteu or vimeo.com/nteutv.

4 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 BLUESTOCKINGS Bluestocking Week Holding the Line In a tumultuous period for gender politics in Australia and when public resistance to sexism in public life is clearly needed, ‘Holding the Line’ seemed an apt theme for NTEU’s Bluestocking Week 12-16 August 2013.

Holding the Line also complemented the National Union of Students (NUS) theme for Women’s Walk on Country their April Bluestocking Week – ‘Our blue Western Australia’s Murdoch University stockings are on the line’. It also allowed Branch initiative of the ‘Women’s Walk on for some excellent imagery in our poster Country’ with Nyungar elder Aunty Marie artwork. And that was taken even further Taylor was a highlight of this year’s Blue- in the national launch event on Monday stocking Week. Aunty Marie took a group of 12 August when National Office staff and women around showing them the signifi- others, in blue stockings literally held the cance of her land on which the university line in University Arcade (next to Victo- now sits. Scheduled for one hour, appar- ria University), draping a clothes line of ently the event went closer to three. cardboard cut-outs of stockings and clothes (reproduced from the poster) across the laneway drawing many interested queries More Bluestocking Week round up from staff and students, tourists, city workers and shoppers In Brisbane, the focus was on who were all taking domestic and family vio- photos. lence (DFV). Division Secretary Margaret Lee spoke at the General staff QUT event where members raised and pay hundreds of dol- lars at a cake stall equity and whip around to assist a DFV shel- This year the focus ter. Zoe Rathus, from was on general staff the Law School spoke women and exposing at Griffith University and the gender pay gap in general members collected and donated a lot staff salaries in universities. NTEU’s research of new items for the Murri Sisters Shelter. found that the averaged equal pay gap in USQ Branch also talked about the NTEU universities at 8.7% was much less than the enterprise bargaining claim in support of 17% across the Australian workforce. This staff dealing with domestic violence at their attests to the success of industrial and politi- morning tea event. This focus has energised cal campaigns in the sector, but any gap is the enterprise bargaining campaign at these inexcusable. See p.3 for the winner of the sites particularly in prosecuting the domestic Bluestocking Week ‘Guess the gender pay violence claim, which has been vigorously gap at your university’ competition. opposed by university managements, unlike The Deakin NTEU Branch responded by in some other universities interstate. holding a Bluestocking Week ‘Lunch and At James Cook University in northern Learn’ for general staff entitled, ‘Getting Queensland, the Branch held a videocon- Reclassified, Writing your PD’ at the Bur- ference between Cairns and Townsville wood Campus. They plan training on other campuses, featuring 5 minute speaker campuses later this year. spots that showcased women’s activism on both campuses and further afield. Partici-

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 5 BLUESECTISTOCONKINGS

BSW ROUND UP CONTINUED pants heard a report back from the NTEU Women’s Conference; learned of the work of a group highlighting objectification of women in Townsville; progress in organising the Reclaim the Night March in Townsville; the implications of motherhood for PhD students; an Indigenous women’s leader- ship program in the Far North; and about the JCU Women’s Studies Research Group in its transition from the Women’s Studies Centre. Speakers included undergraduate and graduate students as well as staff. At CQU, the Branch was supported by the University as DVC Hilary Winchester co-hosted an event where Professor Brenda Happell, Director of the Institute for Health and Social Science Research and the Centre for Mental Health Nursing Innovation, spoke ‘Walk on Country’ at Murdoch with respected Nyungar Elder Aunty Marie Taylor. on ‘Women in Leadership - Remember the fruit but forget the family’. At Macquarie University, the forum’s theme facing woman in tertiary education and how was ‘Don’t be too polite, girls! Women in the NTEU is pursuing these through current CQU support for Bluestocking Week was higher education, public life and politics’. enterprise bargaining negotiations. at odds with HR at the University of South The speakers were Greens Senator Lee Rhi- Australia, who cancelled the NTEU’s room In Adelaide, the film An Education was annon, NTEU National Indigenous Organ- bookings for Bluestocking Week morning screened and participants had the oppor- iser Celeste Liddle, Sociology lecturer Dr teas. However, this has now been sorted tunity to use this as platform for discussing Justine Lloyd and student Monika Vukotic. At out and will not happen again. contemporary issues in higher education for the University of Sydney, Professor Marion women. UWA screened the oldie, but still Morning teas did go ahead at many places Baird was the guest speaker. so relevant For Love or Money: a History of including ECU and Notre Dame in Perth. In The WA Division evening forum ‘Hold- Women and Work in Australia, narrated by Darwin, retiring Labor Senator Trish Crossin ing the line: Women leading in the public Noni Hazlehurst. was the guest speaker for the morning tea eye’ held at the WACA was chaired by organised by the CDU Branch. At Newcas- In the ACT, women were invited to a wine the NTEU National President with Greens tle University, outgoing Labor MP for New- and cheese get together at the Australian Senator Rachel Siewart, Unions WA Sec- castle, Sharon Grierson spoke on ‘Women Catholic University campus. On Thursday retary Meredith Hammat, senior lecturer in in Politics: Reflections on a Political Career’. market day at ANU women organised a politics and international studies at Murdoch Bluestocking Week stall and University of The ANU Branch held a lunch addressed by University and Chair of Oxfam Australia’s Canberra women organised a pizza lunch. Emeritus Professor Meredith Edwards, who Board of Directors Dr Jane Hutchison and had recently concluded research on gender from the School of Indigenous Studies UWA The University of Wollongong held a equality in the APS. She spoke about the and Fellow of the Australian Psychological Bluestocking Week display in the library public service’s culture blocking women’s Society Professor Pat Dudgeon. highlighting a range of published works advancement, and reflected on how this from past and current female academics. UTS held a forum where Jenna Price and might be relevant to women in universities. Murdoch University also organised Blue- Sarah Attfield shared their stories on issues stocking Week library displays on two sites.

Prof. Pat Dudgeon, Senator Rachel Siewart, Meredith Hammat (WA Unions), Bluestocking Morning Tea at the ECU Bunbury campus. Jeannie Rea, Gabe Gooding & Dr Jane Hutchison at the Perth Bluestocking forum.

6 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 BLUESTOCKINGS

JCU members in Cairns celebrate Bluestocking Week.

Virginia Mansel Lees and Jeannie Rea holding the line at the Victorian event.

Curtin University organised a week Week. Back in April male students of art displays celebrating women’s from Monash denounced the participation in higher education. student association’s Bluestocking Murdoch Branch also organised Week event featuring cupcakes for a Bush Court Bluestocking Week sale at $1 for men and 80 cents for Festival which featured music, blue women as sexist. The point was to stockings and even blue fairy floss. illustrate the gender wage gap. The Victorian Division held a party Bluestocking Week is now estab- at the Division Office with National lished as an annual event every President Jeannie Rea challenging August. Start planning for next participants to hold the line in these year. See www.nteu.org.au/blue- difficult times as attacks on women’s stockingweek for a full list of this rights to equality are being chal- year’s activities and other informa- lenged in all sorts of ways even tion on the history of bluestockings. including backlash to Bluestocking Margaret Lee and Carolyn Cope at QUT.

Bluestocking forum at Macquarie University. Bluestocking Week Morning Tea at CDU in Darwin.

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 7 leadership Still a chilly climate for women leaders

jeannie rea in universities [email protected] A generation ago, universities were described as having a chilly climate for women keen for recognition and advancement. Break through the glass ceiling into senior management and you will find a frosty reception, women were warned. Further commentary described women trapped in the dank base- ment of administrative jobs with no career prospects and academic jobs with no job security or promo- tion. Since then, women’s prospects have improved significantly thanks to the combination of persistent women and industrial and political campaigns.

Women can push on through to the top in leadership roles – by both women and was much truer to this notion than the con- and become vice-chancellors. There was a men. We see only through the gendered temporary appointed Heads. moment when around a third of universi- lens. Women in leadership roles, at every But it is not only political feminists who have ties had women VCs, but that did not last level, are judged more harshly than their an uncomfortable relationship with ‘leader- and still the Group of 8 resist appointing male counterparts. Julia Gillard was spot on ship’. Even where it is well acknowledged a woman. Di Yerbury was Australia’s first when she said in her valedictory speech, ‘… that women do need to get into the master’s woman university Vice-Chancellor, serving the reaction to being the first female Prime house and do some dismantling from within, at Macquarie University from 1987 – Minister does not explain everything about many women would rather not. And many 2005. Over this period, the first generation my prime ministership, nor does it explain women remain ambivalent about supporting of feminists who had agitated for women’s nothing about my prime ministership.’ other women having a go – even though rights in higher education claimed top jobs There remains a high degree of ambiva- they would grudgingly agree that women in across the country. For a while it looked like lence about women in leadership includ- power can make positive change for women. women were marking out the territory of ing amongst feminists. In many ways we higher education governance and manage- However, support structures for women in were still grappling with the legacy of the ment, but as that first generation of fighters power are critical to success in this mission. women’s liberation movement, which is to retired, the men seem to be settling back in. At the 2013 NTEU Women’s Conference be highly suspicious of traditional concep- retiring Senator Trish Crossin emphasised that Yet there are many more women in leader- tions of ‘leadership’ and of those aspiring to Julia Gillard’s capacity to make a positive dif- ship positions right through universities leadership. ference for women and girls was only possi- amongst academic and general staff, with Caribbean American feminist, poet and ble because she was surrounded by enough general staff senior women increasing rap- activist Audre Lorde was very persuasive feminists to work together to push through idly. For academic women barriers remain when she pronounced, ‘The master’s tools on the issues that the men just did not to breaking through into the professoriate will never dismantle the master’s house’. understand mattered so much to women.1 and onto senior academic leadership. How- ever, this progress is highly tempered by the The commitment to developing non-hierar- The master’s house is still pretty much intact tenacity of traditional gender segregation chical and egalitarian structures epitomised in the Australian parliament and in our by discipline and occupation. I think that in the ‘collective’ has been fundamental to universities and across Australian society. the pervasiveness of this segregation has more radical feminists. In today’s more con- Women even when in charge can still be impacts beyond the obvious and contributes servative times, these ideas are picked up in seen as temporary interlopers. We are still to how firmly we remain stuck in traditional the workplace in the shared and inclusive stuck with traditional assumptions that lead- gendered roles and constructs. approaches to leadership within ‘teams’. ers require particular characteristics. These Ironically the old university Head of Depart- include being single-minded, decisive, It not only makes it difficult to break down ment structure where the role was circulated convincing, commanding of allegiance, the barriers to women’s career advance- amongst colleagues (albeit traditionally full tough and sometimes visionary, with an ego ment, but to the expectations of women time, white and male!) for short stretches to match.

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Not coincidentally, these are characteristics Getting women into leadership was always refuse to just transact, but will continue viewed positively when associated with going to be a limited strategy. But getting trying to make real transformative change. men and often negatively when applied to into leadership and doing it differently does Transactional models of leadership sanction women. To put it bluntly, leadership is a matter. Leadership should not be about hold- and reward followers, follow the established masculine construct – and reality. Women ing a position, but what one does with it. path and are rewarded with more of the in Leadership courses, with all their posi- same. Transformative leaders seek to inspire In a recent article in Labour History, Profes- tive intentions perpetuate this by teaching themselves and others to do difficult and sor Raelene Frances defines leadership as, women how to overcome their feminine challenging things that could make real ‘the ability to change the way that people and womanly deficits and get better at the positive change – and support one another think about what is possible and the capac- masculine characteristics and behaviours. in doing so. ity to work with others to achieve at least So women get the message that we do not some measure of change.’ 1. Indicative of Trish Crossin’s point is that with fit the mould and many do not want to or the departure of Julia Gillard, her proposal to use want other women to. She argues that, ‘Of the contemporary Australia’s month in the chair of the UN Security approaches to the study of leadership, the Council to champion the excessive burden on In his retiring address to staff as Vice- one I find most helpful in this context is the women in war zones has been dropped com- Chancellor of ANU, Professor Don Aitken relatively new concept of ‘authentic leader- pletely. Senator Carr had backed Gillard in pro- asserted that women in higher education ship.’ moting this as a key priority for Australia on the were more concerned with good outcomes council. It followed Gillard’s $320 million initiative and harmony than with the male focus on Authentic leaders lead from conviction and to raise the status of women in the Pacific. Instead winning, adding, ‘I do not think that making act on the basis of their values, Frances the focus will be on the prevalence of guns in it easier for women to be more like men will explains drawing upon the work of Shamir fragile states. I hope there will be at least some assist the process of converting male single- and Eilam. Authentic leaders have to exhibit attention to the connections to violence against women. (Source The Age, 1/9/13) mindedness into socially useful outcomes… self-knowledge and have a strong identifi- Rather I think we need to work on ways to cation with their own leadership role. This emphasise and accredit the instinctive values reflexive self-awareness and awareness of References that women hold.’ others sits well with feminist thinking and Julia Gillard (2013). Valedictory speech as Prime Minis- more women may be more comfortable He called for a transformation of the heavily ter, 26 June. with this approach to leadership. However, male value system of the modern university. Don Aitken is quoted in Kate While (2003). ‘Women does it gain them respect and recognition and leadership in higher education in Australia’, Tertiary The subsequent decade has seen only little with those holding more traditional views of Education and Management 9. change. In many ways the value system has leadership in a conservative environment? Raelene Frances (2013). ‘Authentic Leaders: Women and become more conservative and along with leadership in Australian unions before WWII’, Labour that the judging of successful leadership. It Regardless I am confident that there will be History, no 104. is still gendered male. more women leaders in universities who Boas Shamir & Galit Eilam (2005), quoted in Frances.

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 9 leadershipSECTION Gender Equity in Universities: A Practitioner’s

andrea brown Perspective [email protected] Despite genuine effort, and some best practice Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) initiatives and pro- grams and sustained leadership and commitment, building more gender equitable workplaces remains an on-going challenge for the sector. It would appear that workplace culture, employment practices, management and leadership attitudes remain at odds with the action required to achieve real change. One of many underlying explanations from my experience is a lack of a pervasive recognition of gender equity as a legitimate concern that requires attention and action in our universities. This is not to suggest that gender equity championing is not taken up by some individuals in leadership positions within our universities.

Why doesn’t EEO work? Inadequate women are by and large similar to those Nonetheless, a gendered culture is alive resourcing, little commitment from the top, for academic women, such as a lack of and well in our general staff workforce, insufficient measuring, monitoring and seniority and positional leadership, lower particularly at the management and leader- accountability, not viewed as core business advancement rates and little progress to ship levels. or often not a part of a university’s strategic improve the situation for women staff, An additional major barrier for general mission and plan. general staff women comprise up to 70% of staff women, of a more structural nature, is that workforce. Whereas, academic women Obviously, this implies EEO works best the HEW classification system itself which generally comprise around 45% of the when it is appropriately resourced, sup- provides few career path opportunities academic workforce. ported by demonstrable commitment from and significantly under values the type of the top, relevant and effective accountability While the general staff workforce is female work women are more likely to do. I have measures are developed and implemented dominated, it is also vastly segregated by repeatedly observed, both in reality and and it is incorporated into the university’s gender. The boys primarily reside in IT, within institutional data sets, the extent strategic plan. Perhaps the question should finance, facilities, planning, strategy… while to which male general staff outstrip their really be what are the necessary precondi- the girls tend to be drawn to and remain female colleagues in terms of advance- tions for EEO to have a positive impact on in the library, student, faculty and school ment, such as reclassification to a higher workplace culture, employment practices administration, HR, executive support and level, direct appointment or recruitment to a and management and leadership attitudes? secretariat services. Male general staff higher level, secondment and higher duties tend to occupy higher HEW classifica- opportunities. gender and general staff tions in those organisational units and on commencement tend to be appointed at a academic career success Over the years, as an EEO practitioner, comparatively higher level. I have developed an increasing interest Experiences of workplace culture can be For some years, I and many others have in gender equity for general staff. While widely divergent and the presence of sub- identified a number of important variables the problems we identify for general staff cultures partly explains this phenomena. that contribute positively to the career suc-

10 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 LEADERSHIP

cess of academic women. In particular, cultural change. Women in Leadership Summit. Peter Wilson wrote that ’Australia is practices such as mentoring and sponsor- programs should deconstruct leadership, ranked number one for female educational ship, but also career advice, membership of they should critically examine gender, participation by the 2010 World Economic a discipline and research group, supervision power and politics in the workplace and Forum Report, yet we find ourselves ranked of post-graduate research students, sup- they should offer a different paradigm. 44th on female workforce participation in port for promotion and study leave, and of the same publication.’ While this particular To move beyond a ‘let’s fix the women’ course, the ability to work long hours and fact should resonate well in our sector, Peter approach and have some influence on maintain a manageable workload. Wilson went on to say ’On gender equity culture, they must go beyond the individual at work, Australia is effectively world’s worst The perennial problem of work/life balance, participants to touch others. Mentoring practice among modern, mature and devel- particularly as it relates to family and caring for change, perhaps combined with skill oped countries.’ responsibilities, impacts both academic and development regarding unconscious bias for general staff women - in different ways I mentors, is an important second ingredient. We all know that building gender equity in would suggest. Where general staff women The mentors require new skills in relation to any organisation and profession is difficult, may have a somewhat better opportunity to developmental mentoring, rather than more complex and long-term. use a mix of flexible work arrangements to conventional, top down mentoring that I would like to conclude with a quote from manage work/life balance, especially when reinforces the same way of doing things. Helen Carmody, Principal Consultant, caring responsibilities are high, the success The mentors should learn from and with the The Nous Group. It resonates, not least of of that approach diminishes rapidly as one women participants and have just as much which is attributable to the candid style, but aspires to senior HEW levels and positions responsibility to reflect on and affect cultural because it may, yet again pave the way for of management. Career progression for change. discussion/debate on that hoary old chest- some academic women is simply put on Education and more education is key to nut, quotas. Heather Carmody concludes hold when fulfilling the demands of caring. understanding and acknowledging how in her chapter, ‘The Gloves Are Off in The Research output, together with securing stereotypes and unconscious bias influ- Diversity War’, in the recently released grants, is very difficult to achieve when one ence our behaviour and decision making Sideways to the Top, that: cannot prioritise work above all else. They practices at work. They effectively contribute significantly determine career progression ‘CEO’s need to hear the following to perpetuating the status quo. for many academics. message: if you can’t attract, develop Athene Donald, Professor of Physics at the and promote women, you know you’re University of Cambridge recently wrote that losing ground in the labour market and improving gender equality ‘unconscious bias is still prevalent, even if workplace culture. If a bunch of lookalike So what are some of the things that EEO overt discrimination is rare’. She was quot- blokes is the best you can do and best can do to improve gender equality in our ing a study published in the Proceedings you want to do, you can be certain you universities? Based partly on the notion of of the National Academy of Science that will have a problem. Those blokes are a leadership as a gendered construct, most showed for identical CVs submitted under shrinking pool. The growth is with non- universities develop and implement Women a male or female name, the women were lookalike blokes … and women.’ rated as significantly less competent and in Leadership programs. It is now well Andrea Brown is an Equal Employment Oppor- accepted that men and women, with mas- hireable than men. This was irrespective tunity Officer at Victoria University. She spoke on culine and feminine traits, are valued quite of the sex of the evaluator and there were the ‘Women and Leadership in Higher Education’ differently in leadership roles. And just in also notable differences in the commencing panel at the 2013 NTEU Women’s Conference. case anyone was thinking leadership is not salary recommended. a gendered construct, I invite you to reflect However, our sector will not undertake References on the recent leadership battle in the Labor that education without the necessary Party and the pervasive treatment of our first precondition of genuine acknowledge- Donald, A. (2012) ‘Throw Off the Cloak of Invisibility’, Nature, Vol 490, 447. female Prime Minister. ment that gender equity is an intrinsically ‘Equality means Business’, Communiqué of the Gender While such leadership programs obviously valid problem that requires examination Equity in the Workplace Summit 2011, Australian aim to develop women, it is critical for them and action. Even the National President of Human Resource Institute. to also aim for cultural change. They should the Australian Human Resources Institute ‘Is feminism still relevant?’ Norah Breekveldt, www.mac- (AHRI) recently called for real action at the farlanlane.com.au/july-2013-is-feminism-still-relevant/ aim to operate more like a strategic inter- w1/i1003298/ vention, that incrementally, works towards 2011 Gender Equity in the Workplace

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 11 leadership Did Julia gillard make a difference

katie wilson for women & [email protected] For me and my daughter, Zoë, the answer to this question is clear. Living in Canberra, we have often vis- ited Parliament House hoping for a glimpse of Julia Gillard. The first female Prime Minister of this country was, and is, a big deal for Zoë. It was important for her (and me) to see that women can be leaders and can do anything to which they put their minds. Julia has definitely made a difference to my girl.

At the 2013 NTEU Women’s Conference, and humour by Louise Connor, Victorian misdemeanours of certain politicians upon three excellent speakers gave their views on State Secretary, Media, Entertainment and whom she relied to pass legislation. The this question on a panel, chaired with grace Arts Alliance. hung parliament was very complex and eventually the attitude became ‘whatever it takes’. This helped Tony Abbott establish his Trish Crossin, LABOR SENATOR, NT scare campaign, and Trish felt that Gillard At the time of the Conference in July this did not manage to rise above Abbott’s at- year, Trish Crossin (pictured left) had recently tacks. ‘retired’ from the Senate, following Julia The hung parliament worked more effec- Gillard’s ‘captain’s pick’ of Nova Peris to tively than expected, as Julia was a fantastic replace Trish as the Labor candidate. negotiator and policy writer, but this would Trish said there had been times when she not have been possible without the team admired Julia Gillard and other times when she had around her, including a number she had been bemused by her behaviour. of very capable women. Fortunately some She thought history would judge Gillard un- things went forward, but some things went kindly and that many women had been let backwards. The bottom line is politics is down by her actions, but said it is important power, and it makes people do odd things. to look at the context. Trish thinks that the Labor Party has a long way to go. Trish believed the main issue was that many people believed that the way Julia became Trish concluded that Gillard had indeed prime minister was not legitimate. She also made a difference, although she thought had to deal with a hung parliament and the that history would judge her harshly.

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Zoë doesn’t want to be a politician My daughter recently told me she doesn’t want to be a politician because she doesn’t want to kiss babies’ heads. The fact that she had thought about politics at 8, shows that Julia has made a difference. I think that for women and girls, Julia has made a difference – even if it is that they know they don’t want to be politicians. At least they are aware of the process, know who is involved, and they can always change their minds when they get older. They may not become politicians, but they have an awareness of the issues and how the media portray politicians, and leadership in general. Overall, the panel agreed that Julia Gillard has made a difference for women and girls. Karen Batt, CPSU (SPSF) Suzanne McNabb, TEU (NZ) What those differences are depends on CPSU (SPSF) Federal Secretary, Karen Batt Suzanne McNabb (pictured above) spoke your point of view and life experiences. (pictured above) started by saying that these about Helen Clarke, who was Prime Minis- Katie Wilson is Courses Officer at the Univer- were extraordinary times and spoke about ter of New Zealand for nine years, includ- sity of Canberra, and ACT General Staff WAC Julia Gillard in the context of her own family ing leading her party to four consecutive representative. – her mother, 78, her niece Ruby, 4, and election victories. Helen Clarke is seen as a Photos: Terri MacDonald, Paul Clifton herself. role model for NZ women. She created an expectation that women could and should Karen’s mum had expressed anger at be leaders and has opened up many pos- the constant attacks on Julia Gillard and sibilities for girls and women. It was about lamented the fact that the country could not forging new norms. But, Suzanne said that cope with a leader looking different. The NZ could not afford to be complacent. constant criticism that came from com- Helen Clarke recently stated that structural mentators such as Andrew Bolt and on constraints, poverty, violence towards one occasion even Germaine Greer, were women and lack of representation in public damaging and had wide circulation. life do impact on whether women and girls Perhaps the only reason that she was chose to be leaders. virulently attacked was because she was Suzanne could see many similarities a woman. Karen asked what relevance between Julia Gillard and Helen Clarke. the comments had and said that they just When her Government’s policies were demeaned the office of the Prime Minis- unpopular, instead of discussing the policy ter and took attention away from policy itself, critics attacked Clarke personally for making? Karen’s mum was angry that her life decisions, such as not having Gillard’s policies were not analysed, that children. The same thing happened to people instead focused on her as a person, Julia Gillard; and for both of them, with the implication that women in power the negative comments got worse can’t ‘do it’, although over 180 bills were as they neared the end of their passed. Karen and her mum are concerned terms of office. Helen Clarke, that the country has gone backwards. Ruby, and Julia Gillard both make a Karen’s four-year-old niece, had heard that difference in politics and leadership. women can’t be bosses. Ruby was quickly Helen Clarke continues to make a dif- told that she could do anything and not to ference in the world in her current role listen to boys who told her that! Unfortu- of Administrator of the United Nations nately, the competency of all women has Development Program (the third-highest been questioned. UN position). This was one of the subtle negative effects In the discussion that followed, Suzanne of Gillard’s prime ministership. Girls may made the point we have to challenge want to be leaders, but when they hear and everything, we need to be aware of what see how Julia was treated, they may be put is happening around us. We have the ten- off. This is the challenge we face. Women dency to leave the woman at the top alone and girls do make a difference, we want to – we need to gather around her, speak up contribute to our society and it is not okay on her behalf, and not be afraid. to be judged because of our gender.

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 13 leadershipSECTION

suzanne mcnabb new zealand’s [email protected] gender equity myth At the moment in New Zealand we are wash- ing the glasses after celebrating an historic win for women workers. A caregiver from the town of Upper Hutt, Kristine Bartlett, took on the rest home where she is employed, alleging she is underpaid because she is in a female-dominated industry. And she won. Bartlett and her union SFWU went to the Employment Court and argued, using a piece of legislation that had laid dormant for over forty years, that if it was mostly men doing the job she and her colleagues were Helen Clark served three consecutive terms as NZ Prime Minister, from 1999 to doing, then the pay would be very different. 2008. She was the first woman elected PM at a general election.

The workers at Kristine Bartlett’s rest home riers. They have succeeded despite facing ship team of our national secretary, deputy are paid $14.32 an hour. In the state those barriers. That makes their achieve- secretary, national president, and two of the sector, residential care workers doing similar ments remarkable, but it does not make three vice-presidents are all women. How- work can earn $19.50 an hour. It is a great them ‘evidence’ that a country that has ever, sitting underneath that traditional divi- victory for Kristine, for the many women solved gender discrimination. sions emerge. In a union where two-thirds in her union that traditionally do some of of our members are women, more of our As with other places around the world, the most important yet lowest paid work, Branch Presidents are men and unsurpris- there is a gender pay gap - women in New and for all other working women in NZ. ingly all our administration staff are women. Zealand earn 87 cents for every dollar than The decision has implications for many jobs men earn. Jobs where women dominate Women make up 60% of New Zealand’s that are dominated by women employees, are normally lower paid and have poorer wider union membership but hold less than especially low-paid ones. employment conditions. The pay gap has a third of the senior leadership positions. It is the type of gender equity victory we grown in recent years under a government TEU like many unions and organisations in like to think we have a reputation for in NZ. that has taken an axe to pay and employ- New Zealand and around the world has a But the truth is the victory was only possible ment equity measures and worked hard to woman’s committee to advance the interests because of the appalling economic discrimi- suppress pay for NZ’s lowest paid workers. of women within the organisation and nation that Bartlett and women like her all Despite the stand out examples of women in within the workplaces where our member over the country face on a daily basis. the highest positions of leadership women work. Our committee Te Kahurangi Marei- New Zealand women have an historic remain significantly underrepresented in kura has worked on the issues we believe reputation as leaders who break down bar- leadership positions in many spheres. will dismantle some of the barriers women riers to political power. We pride ourselves face working in tertiary education: an Among the polytechnics and universities on being the first country where women industrial and bargaining strategy that works where our members work, only one woman won the right to vote. Our first female MP for pay and employment equity, a Respect is a vice-chancellor of a university and 7 won a seat in 1933 and in recent years we and Dignity campaign aimed at preventing women are the chief executives of our 18 have had two female prime ministers and workplace bullying and campaigning for an polytechnics. governors-general, a Chief Justice, chief extension to paid parental leave. executives of some of our biggest compa- Within our own union, TEU, we work hard We hope these activities will reinforce nies and other prestigious positions. to ensure women have a prominent role the campaign that Kristine Bartlett and leading the union. Nevertheless, like others, However, these shining examples do her fellow union members ran to take on there is still work to do. Perhaps TEU falls not reflect the reality of the barriers most gender discrimination and poverty wages. into a similar myth as New Zealand with women face. These women leaders have And then, in small steps, we will turn the women holding some of the highest posi- not succeeded because NZ has lowered or myth of NZ’s gender equity into a reality. tions of power but not represented equally dismantled gendered employment barriers, throughout all our structures. Our leader- Suzanne McNabb is Women’s Officer, TEU. political representation or social justice bar-

14 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 leadership women, work & careers Universities are considered meritocratic and in Australia in gender terms appear to be at the forefront of organisational equity initiatives with many universities recognised as Employers of Choice for Women by the Federal Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency. Yet significant differences remain in the positions women and men occupy within the university. Government statistics on university work- workforce (DISSR 2011). Once again, women forces for 2001-2012 indicate women predominate in the lower level positions, Conclusions represent 48% of academic staff and 64% that is at HEW Levels 4 and 5, while men Overall gender equity policies in universities of professional/general staff. The percentage dominate at HEW Levels 8 and above. have taken us so far as there has been an of women in the professional/general staff Of the men, 41% are at HEW Level 8 and increase in women employed in the sector workforce is increasing – from 58% in 1996 above, compared with 26% of the women. but there is still a long way to go as women to 64% currently (DISSRTE 2012). Between On one indicator women and men are the are still underrepresented in senior positions 1991 and 2006, academic staff of Australian same, and that is educational attainment as and still report that gender attitudes are af- universities increased by 18.5%, although the 79% of professional and general staff have fecting their careers. increase in contract staff (29.4%) was signifi- a degree, with 42% having a qualification cantly higher than for tenured staff (12.1%). higher than a bachelor’s degree (including a Vertical segregation remains by gender post-graduate diploma, Master’s or a PhD). remains for both professional/general staff The ARC Linkage Grant Gender and and academic staff as women are still less Employment Equity: Strategies for Advance- Among the professional/general staff 29% of likely than men to reach senior ranks. Staff ment in Australian Universities focused on women and 24% of men are on fixed term on fixed term contracts are also less likely senior women academics, professional/ contracts, and they are spread throughout to progress, so the least likely group to pro- general staff and casual teaching academics. the HEW levels. There is very little research gress is women on fixed term contracts. As As research staff are an important category on this group at all so we need to investi- part of this project we have already begun a we have also developed a project in this gate this further. detailed investigation of fixed term research area. As part of the Linkage project in 2011 staff but we need to further investigate this we conducted the Work and Careers in group in the professional/general staff, as Australian Universities (WCAU) survey, Research staff contract staff represent a significant propor- which revealed that 44% of academic staff For those academic staff who identified that tion of staff overall. are on fixed-term contracts. As this article research was their sole or main focus, only will focus on women and leadership we dis- 16% (n=390) were employed in continu- In the general and professional staff work- cuss the situation for senior women, women ing positions. This left the overwhelming force vertical gender segregation means that professional/general staff and women in the majority, 84% (n=2098) employed on fixed women and men are clustered at certain research workforce. term contracts. Within this there was a fairly HEW levels, so we see that differences in even gender balance. The majority (72%) HEW levels between the sexes still persists. Women in senior positions of research staff are employed in the lowest The level of first appointment for women 2 levels (A- tutor and B- lecturer) and there continues to be lower than for men and In common with the national data col- is a fairly even gender balance. Even those there is still a barrier to women moving be- lected by the government, the WCAU who have worked as research academic for yond HEW Level 7, but women are progress- survey revealed that men are more likely to more than 15 years are likely to be at Levels ing – but much more investigation needed. reach senior academic positions. Seven% A and B. Only 18% of research staff are The majority of research staff are fixed term of women academics had reached Level E employed above Level C (senior lecturer). and a large proportion are concentrated in (Professor) compared with 15% of the men. In contrast, the ‘traditional’ academic who the lowest 2 levels of appointment. While Men were more likely to be at Level D (As- combines research and teaching is much women in senior continuing research posi- sociate Professor) than women: 14% men more likely to attain a senior position. tions face difficulties the greatest divide in and 9% women. Yet women represented Research staff in continuing positions are the research workforce is between perma- 51% of the academic staff. Staff on fixed generally in the higher levels of D and E nent and fixed term research staff. The gen- term contracts were less likely to have ap- but there are fewer women than men in the der divide within the fixed term workforce pointments at these senior levels compared senior levels (33% women and 49% men occurs in access to research funding which to their colleagues in on-going employment at Level E). Being on a fixed term contract is more problematic for women. contracts. Between 35 and 53% of senior also affected research staff accessing to op- women mentioned that their careers had Dr Kaye Broadbent and Professor Glenda Stra- portunities for leadership and internal funds, chan, Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbe- been impacted by attitudes towards gender. necessary to continue research or apply ing, Griffith University. for further grants. Women more than men A summary of major findings is available in the Work & Professional and general staff expressed this was a problem in or for their Careers in Australian Universities: Executive Summary at careers. the Project website: www.griffith.edu.au/business-gov- Staff in the professional/general work- ernment/centre-work-organisation-wellbeing/research/ regulation-institutions/projects/work-careers-australian- force constitute 57% of the total university universities

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 15 conference 2013 conference 2013 report This year’s biennial NTEU National Women’s Conference on 19–20 June in Melbourne attracted women delegates from almost every NTEU Branch. Academic and general staff were equally represented and many delegates were attending an NTEU conference for the first time. The conference focussed upon women in leadership – formal and informal - in higher education, in unions and in politics. The purpose was to consider and contest the constructions and values of leadership from feminist perspectives.

The objectives of the conference were: The opening panel focussed upon ‘Women The panel on the second day was on and leadership roles in higher education’ ‘Women and leadership roles’ and asked • To unpack concepts and practices of with Dr Kaye Broadbent from the Busi- whether Julia Gillard as Prime Minister had leadership and leadership capabilities. ness School Griffith University. One of made a difference for women and girls. • To empower women to contest masculin- the chief investigators on the ARC Linkage Chaired by Louise Connor, secretary of the ist leadership structures and cultures. Project Gender and Employment Equity, Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, the • To explore feminist perspectives on lead- she spoke of findings of the survey of male panellists were retiring Senator Trish Cros- ership – transactional to transformative and female general and academic and sin, CPSU (SPSF) Secretary Karen Batt and leadership. including casual academic staff from 19 international guest NZ Tertiary Education • To entrench women and gender into col- universities (see article p.15). Union Women’s Officer Suzanne McNabb (for an account of the session see Katie Wil- lective bargaining. From Socially Inclusive Education at Victoria son’s article on p.12). • To better position the Women’s Action University and former Gender Studies Committee and networks at the centre of lecturer, Associate Professor Katie Hughes Other plenary sessions included University the Divisions and Branches. talked of her own experiences in the context of Sydney casuals activists Claire Parfitt and • To build and develop union membership. of the theory and literature women and Sharni Chan speaking about the situation leadership. Andrea Brown, also of Victoria for women working as casual academics The general consensus was that good leader- University spoke of the very real barriers to and their campaign to ‘overcome invis- ship is a collective effort where women need general staff women’s collective advance- ibility’ (see p.18). Susan Kenna, National to act together and support one another to ment drawing also upon her long experi- Industrial Officer focussed the gender lens make positive change. This message was ence as both the university’s EEO officer and onto enterprise bargaining, while National very clear in the plenary panels, as was the member of the NTEU branch executive and Policy and Research Coordinator Paul Kniest critical point that while sheer numbers of bargaining teams (see Andrea Brown’s article showed delegates how to read the numbers women do make some difference, numbers p.10). and understand where the universities are of feminists make a lot of difference. spending the money.

16 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 conference 2013

The final plenary was on ‘Feminism in and solidarity educating. On the second Photos by Terri MacDonald universities – Why we still need Bluestock- day workshops focussed upon organis- ing Week’ and featured Gender Studies ing for safety at work (anti-bullying) (see lecturer, Dr Sharon Bickle from the School Helena’s Spyrou’s article on p.19); strategies of English, Media Studies and Art History at for an inclusive practice at work (See Celeste the University of Queensland (see her article Liddle’s article on p.24); organising in the on p.23) and NUS National Education election campaign and rolling out the new Officer Clare Keyes-Liley. Clare titled her Gender Equality Act (see Terri MacDonald’s presentation ‘Our bluestockings are fading’ article on p.26). which was indicative of how much pressure It was a packed agenda, but the feedback she thought that women students and femi- was very positive with delegates returning nist activists are experiencing in universities. to their workplaces full of enthusiasm with Workshops focussed upon further develop- some immediately becoming involved in ing our individual and collective capac- Bluestocking Week events and wanting to ity to ensure that gender analyses are also get involved in wider Branch activities. not neglected in enterprising bargaining, As I have noted before, research has shown recruiting, organising and campaigning. that women are attracted to unions that Activity focussed workshops included organ- work for women and on issues that matter ising against casualisation and for secure for women. jobs in universities in creative ways with For more on the conference including Sydney University Casuals Network who plenary and workshop presentations, go to taught us their clever and innovative yoga www.nteu.org.au/women/conference/2013. based action (see p.18); making an election campaign video; and singing for strength Jeannie Rea, National President

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 17 conferenceSECTION 2013 women’s conference Workshops creative campaigning Within Sydney University’s strong and active Union membership, casual and contract staff have been the driving force behind a suite of creative and innovative tactics to keep management on its toes. In addi- tion to vital bread-and-butter organising tactics of holding members’ meetings, talking to colleagues, and taking crucial industrial action, these creative actions have communicated to new audiences, have drawn new activists into the Union and have increased the pressure on management. Casual staff have been considered ‘unor- labour, often under pressure from more Spending a few hours working side-by-side ganisable’ by many unions. But with casuals senior academics, who are themselves com- in the sunshine, sharing stories about our now accounting for over half the teaching in pelled to do more work for less. working lives, and otherwise getting better Australian universities, unions and on-going acquainted, casual workers broke down the Following this first yoga action, the Network university staff can no longer afford to ignore barriers and silos that academia creates. This has used it at picket lines and rallies. These the pressures created by casualisation. was an important step in building solidar- demonstrations embarrassed University ity and our on-going capacity for collective NTEU research published in 2012 found management, captured the imaginations of action. that since 1996, the use of casual work- other staff and students, raised the profile ers to perform core teaching roles has of casual staff in the bargaining campaign, There is no substitute for withdrawing labour increased by 81 per cent, with over half and more broadly in the community. The as a means for workers to exert pressure of all undergraduate teaching now done impact of action was amplified by publica- when negotiating with employers. Indeed, by casual academics. A stratified workforce tion of an article, written by three casual strikes have been crucial to the success with vastly polarised wages and conditions activists, in the online media (newmatilda. of the 2013 Sydney University enterprise is undermining the long-term quality of com/2013/05/06/just-how-flexible-are- bargaining campaign. However, as union work life and job security of all staff in the casual-academics). members and critics call for new campaign- tertiary education sector. ing strategies, these actions demonstrate Recently, casual academics literally took how creative tactics can be used effectively The USYD Casuals Network began to organ- their demands to the door of the Vice- to support and complement industrial ise during the management’s job cuts in early Chancellor during the exam period. Thirty action. 2012. By the time enterprise bargaining casuals armed with banners and placards, began in mid 2012, the Network was pre- folding tables and stacks of exam papers, Claire Parfitt and Sharni Chan presented a pared to contribute demands to the bargain- staged a ‘mark-in’ outside the Vice- plenary and workshop session at the 2013 NTEU ing team for better casuals’ conditions and to Chancellor’s office. The action highlighted Women’s Conference. provide pathways out of casual work. underpayment of casuals for work such Above: Yoga class outside a Senate meeting. as marking and the lack of support and Below: ‘Mark in’ outside the VC’s office. Throughout the campaign, the Casuals resources such as office space. Network has consistently adopted a range The action also created an of tactics to increase our visibility to our opportunity to communicate colleagues, to the management and within directly to management as well the Union. This has involved standing side- as students and other passers- by-side with other staff and students on the by about unrealistic workloads, picket lines, as well as taking up some less low wages and the precarious orthodox means of campaigning. nature of casual work. Outside a University Senate meeting in May, These actions engage workers casuals staged a ‘yoga class’ highlighting in taking up and politicising management’s constant and unreasonable public space. Importantly, the demands for ‘flexibility’. For casuals, ‘flex- mark-in also created a space for ibility’ means having work hours changed workers to overcome some of or cancelled at short notice, inconsistent the isolation that the struc- wages, and no access to sick pay or holiday ture of casual work imposes. pay. Casuals also perform hours of unpaid

18 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 conference 2013 singing for solidarity NSW Division Vice-President (Academic) Cathy Rytmeister led our first ever singing workshop. She penned the song Solidarity for Women! which the workshop participants performed for the conference delegates. anti-bullying When the Union’s inspiration through the At this year’s NTEU Women’s Conference, a workshop on work- women’s blood shall run. place bullying was offered as this has become endemic in higher There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun. education. For what force on earth can beat us when The workshop explored anti-bullying Hierarchical managerial structures and the women work as one. strategies in educating and organising practices can legitimise the exercise of For the Union makes us strong! for safety at work focusing on acting col- power as a vehicle for bullying. lectively to develop a counter-culture to Solidarity forever, solidarity forever, solidar- Oppressive work environments and prevent and address bullying. ity forever. increased corporatisation in managerial For the Union makes us strong! Participants identified the importance practice can enable and even sanc- When the women of the Union get of analysing power relationships and tion a bullying culture. Consequently, together in July. workplace structures; building resilience workplace bullying behaviour is often There is fun and food and partying, on that to challenge a bullying culture; exposing tolerated, entrenched and difficult to you can rely. and revealing bullying by identifying and counteract and may be resistant to iden- And we’ll talk of revolution and our purple naming unacceptable behaviours; creat- tification and intervention because it is flags we’ll fly. ing awareness through education and entwined with the process of managing a For the Union makes us strong! training; insisting on and having input workplace. into effective institutional policies and pro- There are limits to the Union’s capacity to Solidarity forever... etc. cedures; developing strong anti-bullying address the problem through focusing on clauses in our Enterprise Agreements; and There’s so much to share and talk about, the individual victims and perpetrators as sites most importantly, insisting that employ- learning curve is steep. for change though mediation or forms of ers have a responsibility to provide a There are workshops, there are panels and legal redress. discussions broad and deep. bullying-free workplace. Although workers can seek redress for But it’s so much fun we wonder how we’ll Bullying is about power. Bullying harms bullying through the Fair Work Commis- ever get to sleep! individuals and is an abuse of sion and bullying may contravene And the Union keeps us strong! our human rights and OHS legislation, anti-discrimina- dignity. It can be subtle Solidarity forever... etc. tion legislation, equal opportu- and difficult to identify, nity legislation and may also Though our workloads and our bargaining but ultimately it aims to constitute a crime, legal rem- weigh heavy on our hearts. intimidate and deni- edies are difficult to achieve. And our progress in negotiations moves in grate. fits and starts. The Union aims to run anti-bul- Demanding an anti- Together we’re much greater than the sum lying education and training for bullying workplace is a of all our parts. members. Please contact Helena challenge to the employ- For the Union makes us strong! Spyrou ([email protected]) er’s power. The workplace if you have thoughts or ideas to Solidarity forever, solidarity forever, is overlaid with formal and contribute. solidarity forever. informal power hierarchies where the employment Helena Spyrou is Education & Training For the Union makes us strong! relationship is unequal. Officer, NTEU National Office For the Union makes us strong!

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 19 conference 2013 What do you do? I don’t mean your job When we meet new people, they will usually ask ‘What do you do?’, meaning what is your employ- ment. But we’re all more than just our day job, so participants at the 2013 NTEU Women’s Conference contributed photographs to describe what they do when they’re away from campus.

Karen Ford This is me at Munghorn Gap just outside of Mudgee NSW. We had bushed walked 4 kilometres to get into this location.

Marianne Doyle-Pegg I motorcycle, read, knit and listen to music introduced to me by my 24-year-old son. Claire Parfitt I am a mother, lover and I I’m a ukelele player! keep people laughing.

Sharon Dennis This is me beside our plane Sonia Graham when we flew to Barnbogle golf course for lunch. I am One of the things I do only the passenger in our is take photos of natural plane, I don’t fly it! objects, such as flowers or landscapes.

20 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 conference 2013

Natalie Lloyd - I drove and camped across Aus tralia for 7 weeks with my four sons and my Mum (75). She was worried I wouldn’t manage on my own so came with us – I was really proud of her support. Best morning teas on the roadside with her.

Rosalie Bunn My outside activity is ‘grandmothering’. They all come for dinner every Monday night.

Debra Hackett This is me on my Yamaha V-Star 650.

Karen Woodman This is me doing the tango in Buenos Aires. Kate Makowiecka I’m a darner! Sharni chan This is me climbing on Tonsai Beach in Thailand.

Wendy Giles Me at the MCG watching the Freo Dockers!

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 21 conferenceSECTION 2013 MY FIRST TIME AT NTEU WOMEN’S CONFERENCE... katie atTwell WENDY GILES I was thrilled to be chosen as Attending the 2013 NTEU the NTEU Murdoch Branch’s Women’s Conference was a delegate for the 2013 Wom- special experience for me, en’s Conference. particularly as it was soon after I have been a union activist since my first job as an 18-year-old, our first female PM had been replaced. and I have been an active member of the NTEU, especially from From the Welcome to Country by Aunty Carolyn Briggs to the 2008-2010 when I sat on the Murdoch Branch Committee. closing plenary, the two days were packed with useful knowledge, The Conference came at an apt time of my personal and profes- friendly networking, valuable activities and fascinating insights. sional life. I have just completed my PhD in Politics and am now Some of the highlights for me were the evidence of continuing actively looking for ongoing academic work. In the meantime, I am imbalance of women in the higher levels of both professional and employed as a casual staff member. I had read about the casu- academic staff, including senior management. In spite of more als’ campaign in the NTEU’s casual publication, Connect, and was women employees overall in Higher Education, there is still a sig- delighted to meet Sharni Chan and Claire Parfitt in person at the nificant gap in salaries between males and females. Some sessional Conference dinner, as well as enjoying their presentation to the lecturers explained how they were drawing attention to their griev- Conference. It is heartening to see the attention that is now being ances (such as lack of access to computers and office space) through paid to the casualised academic workforce by our union. creative campaigning techniques including yoga! As a woman who has spent the last five years as primary care-giver The panel which discussed the impact of having a female Prime to my young children as well as completing my PhD, the Confer- Minister included the Women’s Officer from the NZ Tertiary Educa- ence provided a valuable opportunity for me to encounter other tion Union and Senator Trish Crossin from the NT. Differing percep- women who have had to juggle family and work, and to consider tions were interesting (taking bad advice, trying to be something you what lies ahead for me in my academic career. are not, victim of the press, misogyny etc.), but the overall consen- I teach Sex and Gender Politics at Murdoch University so a lot of the sus was that the path has been smoothed for a future female PM. material covered in the various sessions was pertinent to my aca- Sessions on bargaining (make sure the financial position of the uni- demic work. In that regard, there was one fact which I learnt during versity is clear!) and university compliance to the new Gender Equity the Conference and kept coming back to. This was the idea that Act were enlightening as I have not heard anything about the latter women need university degrees in order to earn the kinds of wages from ECU. Learning to sing appropriate songs (Solidarity) and the that many more men can earn in trades (because ‘female’ trades are Conference dinner were a chance to be a little more lighthearted. feminised and hence low-paid). I really enjoyed the experience of I also gained some ideas about Bluestocking Week which I hope to shooting a YouTube campaign video with some other women, and put into practice at the Bunbury campus. the difference that university education makes to women’s earning capacity was the feature upon which I focused in my contribution. Wendy Giles is Associate Dean Academic Programs at ECU Southwest. With this year’s focus on leadership, there was a lot of discussion of ‘feminine’ transformative leadership styles. Associate Professor Katie Hughes made an excellent point in this regard: if it’s true that certain Beth Cole leadership styles are associated with women (i.e. that they are gen- dered behaviour), then we should make sex and gender synony- It was both a privilege and a mous by utilising transformative leadership styles, because they are pleasure to attend the WAC superior to what’s currently on offer. Another highlight for me was the session on the difference Julia Gillard has made to women and meeting (as an observer) and girls. This was a poignant session for the panellists and participants. the Women’s Conference. The contributions were excellent. It was like being on Q&A! Learning how WAC functions and the role it takes in the NTEU was Some of the written material provided at the beginning of the very helpful, as was seeing how other universities are faring in their Conference talked about the function of the Conference in strength- struggles to include domestic violence clauses in Agreements. ening us and building our resilience. I hadn’t realised how much I One of many highlights of the Conference was hearing about the needed that until I was there. Working as a casual academic can be Sydney University casuals’ campaign – which involved performance soul destroying and everything requires a battle. To spend two solid yoga to demonstrate the plight of casuals. And I must admit to days in the company of excellent union women was exactly what I being compelled to attend a snap action at the State Library follow- needed. I hardly knew anyone upon arrival and left with some solid ing Kevin Rudd’s announcement about the PNG refugee ‘solution’. new friends whom I hope I will have the opportunity to see again. On a side note, the food provided for the conference was fabulous! I would like to thank everyone who made this conference, and my But, most of all, it was wonderful to be around so many inspiring attendance at it, possible. and amazing women! Dr Katie Attwell is a Sessional Unit Coordinator in Politics at Murdoch Univer- Beth Cole is the NTEU Murdoch University Branch Organiser sity. .

22 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 feminism Feminism in Australian

sharon bickle Uni’s [email protected] There is something gloriously madcap about the NTEU’s Bluestocking Week. As everyone who has tried to festoon an open area with balloons and stockings knows, it’s impossible to stop them kicking up their heels. While there is an underlying sense of anachronism to the celebrations – who would question the value of women staff and students to Australian universities? – we are not so far removed from those early bluestockings to recapture the frisson of forbidden books and forbidden spaces.

For Australian feminists, however, it can What this approach failed to capture is the While the campaign has not prevented the be a bittersweet celebration. It’s not just impact and significance of Gender Studies major’s discontinuation, UQ has recently about the ongoing struggle for women to at UQ, and the mostly invisible cross-disci- approved a stand-alone minor in Gender approach something like equity in our access plinary contributions it makes to the large Studies. This will ensure continuity for this to workplace conditions, opportunity, and number of honours and postgraduate stu- flagship program, and holds out the pos- promotion (although these are huge issues); dents working on gender-related projects. sibility of rebuilding the major. increasingly it seems that while women are Only one year ago, very different things One of the key arguments against Gender welcome at the higher education table, the were being said about Gender Studies. Studies as a field of inquiry is that gender new tougher budgetary environment means Last year, we celebrated the 40th anniver- is now such a normative part of what a feminists at several universities are having to sary of Women’s Studies/Gender Studies at university does, that a specialised study is justify Gender and Women’s Studies as a UQ. Women’s Studies was set up in 1972 no longer necessary. What this campaign field of undergraduate study and even the by Merle Thornton, a significant figure in has highlighted is just the opposite. Viewed importance of gender-based units within new the struggle for women’s rights in Australia in the broader context of higher educa- leaner majors. for her early direct action when she and tion policy, this illustrates how the current It needs to be said that, from anecdotal evi- Ro Bogner chained themselves to the rail of budgetary climate is playing out in our dence, this is not uniformly the case and the the Regatta Hotel to protest the Queensland universities: its winners and its losers. And status of Gender Studies programs varies Liquor Act’s prevention of the sale of alcohol its potential to impact disproportionately widely across the country. Gender studies to women in public bars, and her pivotal on women: on female students and staff at University of Sydney and University of role in the elimination of the Marriage Bar. members. It speaks directly to the fragility Melbourne is growing strongly and rebuild- (see article in Agenda 2012). Merle Thorn- of women’s occupation of these recently ing, at other institutions it is holding steady, ton’s work has been taken up by Professor forbidden spaces, and of women’s voices in while at University of Wollongong Gender Carole Ferrier, herself a formidable figure in the university and in Australian culture. Studies has been cancelled, and staff and Women’s/Gender Studies in Australia, and Sharon Bickle recently completed a Postdoctoral students at La Trobe University last year by a large collegium of feminist scholars Fellowship at the University of Queensland. fought off moves to axe it. who teach into the program (see p.30). During her fellowship she tutored in the first year Gender Studies course and was a member of the At the University of Queensland (UQ) – The Gender Studies Teaching Committee at Gender Studies Teaching Committee. Dr Bickle one of the two oldest programs in Australia UQ – supported by the NTEU – launched spoke at the 2013 NTEU Women’s Conference. – the major was ‘discontinued’ in February a campaign in support of the major, similar this year as part of an Arts Faculty review to that successfully run at La Trobe. We Photo: Students and staff protesting the cancelling of all majors within the BA. On paper, the received over 80 letters of support and a of Gender Studies at UQ earlier this year. reasons look compelling: small numbers of change.org petition collected over 800 students declaring the major; low course signatures. These responses demonstrate the enrolments at third year level; no Honours high regard in which Gender Studies at UQ program. Within the parameters of the is held by former students and Australian review, getting rid of Gender Studies was a and international scholars, including senior no-brainer. figures in the area.

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 23 indSECTIigenONous Strategies for Inclusivity celeste liddle Indigenous women and the academy [email protected]

It is no secret that universities remain bastions of white male privilege. Learning systems are dominated by these pedagogies as are upper management structures. Despite the fact that women have been accessing university at a higher rate than men for quite a while the institutions remain greatly unchanged.

Through the work of the NTEU, particu- ents indicated that they had experienced oppressor, it is therefore more likely that an larly during bargaining rounds, we aim lateral violence in the workplace. Lateral Indigenous woman experiencing bullying to redress some of those imbalances so violence, briefly speaking, is the competi- will face racism and sexism as a means of that universities become more inclusive of tion, bullying, undermining and other such subjugation. women’s experiences in the workplace. negative activities that occur amongst peers Due to these unique experiences, Indig- in a workplace, rather than on a hierarchi- When it comes to accessing higher educa- enous women have much to contribute on cal basis. tion, Indigenous women are far outstrip- discussions as to how these issues can be ping Indigenous men. At this point in time, Lateral violence prevails because histori- alleviated. Do engage Indigenous women in Indigenous women are enrolling at twice cally oppressed people turn against each these discussions constantly as there is vast the rate of men, and they make up 67% other, rather than focussing their attention knowledge to be shared. of the Indigenous staff in universities. They on the sources of oppression. Over 70% of also make up 70% of the Indigenous NTEU the Indigenous membership responded to membership. As students, Indigenous the survey questions, which means that a gaining recognition women are much more likely to be mature- great deal of the data was coming from the Indigenous women have even more issues aged than non-Indigenous students, and women. Incidences of racism in the sector gaining recognition. A senior Indigenous are also more likely to have dependants. As were reported at nearly 80%, as was lack of female academic once complained to staff, Indigenous women are more likely to cultural understanding and respect towards me that she was never referred to by her be at the top of their increment table and workers. academic title like her male colleagues stay there for years. It’s telling that despite Lateral violence as a concept initially came were, but only by her first name. She was the heavily feminised workforce, of the 6 out of research done in North America of higher standing than them yet was not top-level Indigenous positions within the within the nursing profession. These under- afforded the same level of acknowledge- sector (PVC/DVC Indigenous or similar) only standings, therefore, came from female-dom- ment. two of them are filled by women. inated workplaces where these women had Similarly, I recently received advertising With this in mind, how can the NTEU, and been the life-long recipients of gender-based materials for an Indigenous health con- indeed the entire sector, become more oppression. Lateral violence ONLY exists ference that offered separate men’s and inclusive of Indigenous women and work because systems of oppression exist, and women’s streams. The men’s conference better towards equity? Whilst it is true if these systems became more egalitarian, spoke of the careers men held down, the that some of the issues facing Indigenous lateral violence would also be alleviated. important jobs they did and the need to women are unique, this is not always the Indigenous women in higher education have opportunities to network with other case and indeed, having a greater under- have dual systems of oppression (at the very professional men. In contrast, the women’s standing of these issues can lead to a better least) affecting their working lives: white conference spoke of women moving into environment for all women on campus. privilege and male privilege. This means jobs whilst juggling families and supporting that their experiences of lateral violence men. Men were discussed as autonomous In the frontline are likely to be amplified or occur more human beings whilst women were only frequently than that experienced by other defined by their relationships and responsi- Indigenous women are often at the coalface marginalised groups. Similarly, they are also bilities to others. of issues affecting other marginalised groups more likely to encounter bullying due to Whether it’s within the sector or within our in the sector. In the NTEU’s 2011 report I’m intersecting methods of oppression. Because own communities, Indigenous women do not a Racist, but... over 60% of respond- racism and sexism are both tools of the not always get their due recognition.

24 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 indigenous Aunty kerrie doyle graduates from oxford NTEU congratulates University of Canberra (UC) Indig- enous Branch Committee member, Kerrie Doyle, for being the first Indigenous Australian woman to graduate from Oxford University.

Aunty Kerrie, a proud Winninninni ground-breaking course, woman who grew up on Darkinjung Aunty Kerrie names other country, completed a Master of Science highlights of her time at in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Oxford as having lunch Policy at Wolfson College as part of the with a Nobel Laureate, and Roberta Sykes Scholarship program. delivering a lecture at the Nelson Mandela Theatre. Kerrie is an assistant professor in Nursing at She also delivered a paper UC, and a current PhD candidate at ANU network of students, and whilst she was at at the International Nursing Research through the National Centre for Indigenous Oxford, she was ‘Aunty’ to many of them. Conference in London. Kerrie describes Studies. She stresses that her achievement Kerrie is one of four Indigenous students her time at Oxford as a very busy time was not a solo effort and that she had to graduate through these scholarship pro- spent in the library an awful lot; she unbelievable support from colleagues at grams this year (Greg Lehman and Krystal relished the one or two days she had off UC. Kerrie received many messages of Lockwood will graduate with a Masters in where she was able to relax and go and support whilst she was at Oxford, and on History of Art and Visual Culture and a see a film. her return to the UC was welcomed back. Masters in Criminology & Criminal Justice Aunty Kerrie is additionally thankful that UC Thanks to the Roberta Sykes and Charles respectively from Oxford, and Lilly Brown created the space for her to undertake this Perkins Scholarship programs, there is graduated with a Masters of Philosophy in opportunity, both financially through flex- now quite a cohort of Indigenous students Politics from Cambridge) and knows that ible leave arrangements. undertaking postgraduate degrees at both the others coming through now will also Oxford and Cambridge. Kerrie felt that be successful. As well as having the opportunity to this has created a wonderfully supportive undertake her studies in what was a Photo courtesy of Michelle McAulay, UC

Strategies for Inclusivity continued Our women are more qualified than our priately on issues affecting Indigenous staff are being taken seriously and not being men due to our higher education access and students as issues extend beyond the seen as being too difficult to handle. rates. We deserve acknowledgement for institutions. Building community esteem, that and for the expertise that we bring collaboration and inclusiveness builds eve- to the table. We should never be under- rything else. We are few but we are strong estimated by virtue of our race and sex Indigenous members are a small contingent, because, if anything, we have been leading Avoid avoidance but they are a powerhouse. Indigenous the charge. female academics are the most unionised We should understand that there are no group of the NTEU, standing at about 65% Community is key definitive answers but avoidance is the worst unionised. The overall Indigenous member- thing ever. Indigenous women are not an ship rate within the sector is roughly 41% If there are issues on campus affecting autonomous group that have everything of all Indigenous staff. In the past 10 years, Indigenous students and staff it is likely that in common all the time. One of the worst Indigenous staffing numbers in the sector the local and broader Indigenous communi- things people can do though is assume have doubled, whilst Indigenous NTEU ties know of it and will be asking questions that an Indigenous person presenting with membership has quadrupled. This means of the Indigenous staff at that University. If a workplace issue has an ‘Indigenous issue’ that whilst things such as Indigenous clauses you are looking to grow Indigenous staff and and then put that issue in the ‘too hard may only apply to a small group of people, student numbers on campus, a continual basket’ because it’s assumed that expertise that small group is highly unionised and engagement with the Indigenous community is required or that going in will only cause need to be properly represented. based on respect is the best way to achieve offence. There may be intricacies around As with all of the above, ensure conversa- this. Indigenous staff will often speak of how culture and community that need to be tions are collaborative and ongoing. The their community responsibility extends into understood, but one of the best ways to NTEU recognises the right for Indigenous their workplace. This is affirming for those understand is to fully engage and ask ques- members to assert their sovereignty within staff members yet it does mean that there are tions. the Union via the 10 Point Plan for a Post- usually additional levels of pressure. As with the need to act quickly when it Treaty Union (www.nteu.org.au/indigenous/ It is important to continually engage com- comes to alleviating community pressures publications). munity in order to build esteem and it is on staff, so too is there a need to act quickly Celeste Liddle is National Indigenous Organiser. also important to act quickly and appro- so that Indigenous staff know their concerns

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 25 equality

The New Workplace Gender Equality Act a step in the right

terri macdonald direction [email protected] Equal Pay Day this year is on 3 September. The date marks the extra 64 days women in Australia must work after the end of the financial year to earn the same average pay as men. With the pay gap between men and women in Australia currently at 17.5%, it is clear that the journey to gender equality in the workplace still has a long way to go.

However, it’s not all bad news. Recently, disadvantaged position of women in Employers to report to the Agency on: new legislation to promote gender equity in relation to employment matters. a. Gender composition of the workforce. the workplace – one of the leading factors • Promote, amongst employers, the elimi- b. Gender composition of governing bodies that influences equal pay – came into effect. nation of discrimination on the basis of of relevant employers. This legislation is a major step in ending the gender in relation to employment matters rhetoric around gender and pay equity, and (including in relation to family and caring c. Equal remuneration between women is a step towards producing tangible equity responsibilities). and men. outcomes. • Foster workplace consultation between d. Availability and utility of employment employers and employees on issues con- terms, conditions and practices relat- new act and agency cerning gender equality in employment ing to flexible working arrangements for and in the workplace. employees and to working arrangements In 2012, after years of lobbying and fol- supporting employees with family or • Improve the productivity and competi- lowing much consultation with unions, caring responsibilities. tiveness of Australian business through community groups and employers, the the advancement of gender equality in e. Consultation with employees on issues Labor Government replaced the largely employment and in the workplace. concerning gender equality in the ineffectual Equal Opportunity for Women in workplace. the Workplace Act 1999 (EOWW Act) with f. Any other matters specified by the Minis- the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 Who does it Apply to? ter in a legislative instrument. (WGE Act). The changes were designed to Employers with over 100 employees in focus on promoting and improving gender The Agency must submit to the Minister a Australia (excluding public sector employers) equality outcomes for both women and report on the progress achieved in relation will need to report on how they are improv- men in the workplace. to the GEIs every two years, with the first ing gender equity in the workplace through report due after the two year period ending Consequently, the Equal Opportunity for annual reports to the Agency. This includes on 31 May 2016. Women in the Workplace Agency is now universities and the NTEU. the Workplace Gender Equality Agency Employers must report against a set of (WGEA), with improved responsibilities and Employment matters standardised Gender Equality Indicators reporting requirements. (GEIs). In 2013, all that employers needed The new WGE Act also updated the to report against was a workplace profile, employment matters that were previously What is the Act designed to do? but from 2014 onwards they will need to contained in the old Act. These reflect areas report against all GEIs. of historical disadvantage experienced by The principal objects of the WGE Act are to: women in the workplace, and from 2014 • Promote and improve gender equality What are the gender equality employers will need to also address these in (including equal remuneration between their Reports. women and men) in employment and in indicators? The employment matters are defined as: the workplace. • The recruitment procedure, and selection • Support employers to remove barriers to GEIs are intended to address the most criteria, for appointment or engagement the full and equal participation of women pressing challenges to gender equity in of persons as employees. in the workforce, in recognition of the the workplace. The six indicators require

26 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 equality

• The promotion, transfer and termination siderable gender inequity within our uni- of employment of employees. Employer Gender Equality Reports versities, despite the plethora of university policy that is intended to address this issue. • Training & development for employees. The Employer reports are publicly available • Work organisation including flexible via the Agency website (although they will It is clear that women are over represented working arrangements. not include personal information). Employ- in insecure employment (particularly casual • Conditions of service of employees ees and their representative organisations teaching), and that universities rely heav- including equal remuneration between (such as unions) are also to be informed ily on casual teaching. Also clear is the women and men. of where and when they can access the under representation of women in higher employer Reports, and can make comment academic levels and in senior management • Arrangements for dealing with sex- if they wish to the Agency. roles. based harassment of employees in the workplace. While the Agency is currently taking an Whilst the NTEU has known that this has • Arrangements for dealing with pregnant, educational approach with employers, the been the case for many years, the WGEA or potentially pregnant employees and Act does outline various consequences for data clearly shows the severity of gender employees who are breastfeeding. employers that do not report, or are false in inequity in higher education. From 2014, their reporting. However, the most damage we hope to have information on the levels • Arrangements relating to employees with to an employer in failing to meet their of difference in remuneration, and other family or caring responsibilities (including reporting duties is to their reputation, as employment matters. for those affected by domestic violence). all reports are public and available to both Yet to be developed are the Minimum Terri MacDonald is Policy & Research Officer in the employees and their unions. NTEU National Office. Standards, which will represent the stand- ards needed to improve gender equity For more information on the WGE Act, please see outcomes over time. These will be evidence- What is the 2012 Gender Equity ‘WGE Act at a Glance’ at www.wgea.gov.au/sites/ based and set by the Minister. These default/files/Branded_act_at_a_glance_wgea.pdf standards may relate to specified GEIs, be data showing? industry specific, and have their own report- Universities have already commenced ing periods. The Minister will set minimum reporting for the 2013 period, and whilst standards after consultation with the Agency the data being provided is primarily a staff and other stakeholders and these will apply profile, it already indicates that there is con- from the 2014–15 reporting period.

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 27 Dignified and decent work, hard won and THEIR FIGHT defended by Australian workers and their unions, is still being fought for by our partners IS OUR FIGHT. in developing countries around the world.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA needs more new monthly donors in our Global Justice Partner program, to enable people, like the Cambodian beer workers in this image, to lift themselves out of poverty by organising for and achieving decent work.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA was established in 1984 to express the Australian union movement’s Become a Global Justicecommitment Partner to social justice and today. international solidarity for human rights and development. We do this through support for adult-focused education, training and developmentUnion projects Aid overseas,U nAbion roaAid Abd roaAPHEDAd APHEDA The overseas humanitarian aid agency of the ACTU Call 1800 888 674 orworking visit in partnership www.apheda.org.au with those whose rights to development are restrictedThe or overseas denied. humanitarian aid agency of the ACTU You can show your solidarity by becoming a Global Justice Partner and making a tax deductible monthly contribution to our work.

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28 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013

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Every 90 seconds, somewhere in the world, a woman dies from complications in childbirth. Why not Send Hope Not Flowers and

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STUDENTS the alarming state of women’s safety on campus Content warning: this article contains discussion of sexual violence. lorelei links In 2011, the National Union of Students (NUS) Women’s Department launched a survey into the inci- dence of sexual harassment and assault on campus. The survey, Talk About It, produced one particularly harrowing figure: 67% of women responding to the surveyed reported they had an unwanted sexual experience on campus.

Nearly half of these students reported that describe their experiences to me. Women At a university like my own, I think there they had sex when they had been, or had are encouraged, pressured or coerced into is little confidence that there is any point felt, unable to consent. Of these, only 3% engaging in sexual activity, while simultane- in making a complaint because it is not said they had reported it to their univer- ously being shamed for their experiences. I believed that it will be taken seriously and sity, and only 2% reported it to the police. was told that some colleges award a ‘Whore followed through. Overwhelmingly, the reason was that of the Floor’ achievement, while others I believe women in universities around the they did not consider the incident serious physically brand women deemed to be country, both staff and students, would enough to warrant attention. promiscuous with permanent marker. I was benefit from a network that unites to provide told that ‘safety workshops’ are held during Seeing the numbers is a shock - not unfor- support to one another. Whether the cur- orientation weeks; during one, presented by tunately because it’s so difficult to believe rent state of affairs is the result of a lack of a man, attendees were told to ‘say you need that the world can be a threatening and awareness, the need to gloss over undesir- to pee and run for help’ if they were facing at times dangerous place for women, but able incidents, or some combination of the sexual assault. because these incidents took place at uni- two, the most pressing need is for women versity. Across the country, when women A number of chants are well known who have experienced sexual violence exercise their right to education, they must throughout the colleges, featuring graphic to have somewhere to turn. Standing in soli- be able to do so in spaces that are safe. descriptions of male sexual domination. They darity is the key to bringing the issue to the are sung before parties and on nights out, forefront of student affairs, and most impor- On my own campus, the University of often with women present. Competitions to tantly, to making sure that sexual violence is Queensland, I have become increasingly sleep with the most women are apparently not ignored. aware of a disturbing culture that permeates commonplace. the campus, particularly in the residential col- I would like to extend an acknowledge- leges. In my first semester I’d felt unsafe on I looked into the procedure to make a ment that women are not the only victims of campus at night and had been the subject of sexual assault complaint at my university, sexual violence and that inclusivity is key to aggressive remarks, but until I spoke to other and it appears to be the same procedure solidarity and support. women, I thought that any kind of reaction as if one were to make an allegation of Lorelei Links, Student, University of Queensland. would be an overreaction. But the Talk About bullying. I can see no separate resources It survey results suggest that these are the for women who have been the victim of Editor’s note: NTEU National Council passed kinds of experiences women are having on assault. The only specific advice offered on a motion in 2011 pledging to support NUS campuses around the country. the Equity Office website recommends that and Universities Australia in addressing the students take complaints of that nature to issues of safety and violence on campus. Through my involvement with the UQ the police. NUS is undertaking the Talk About It survey Women’s Collective I also learned for the again this year. While this article is one stu- first time that sexual harassment, sexual Talk About It revealed that where students dent’s perspective at UQ, further anecdotal assault and the shaming of women aren’t had reported incidents to their university, accounts from students at other universities, just allegedly commonplace in the residen- more often than not they were unhappy particularly about residential colleges, sug- tial colleges, they are apparently proudly with the manner in which it had been gest that there is a real problem that must be upheld as ‘tradition’ and their perpetuation addressed. It also revealed that more taken seriously. as a rite of passage. I asked some women women were unaware than aware of ser- who are or have been college students to vices available to them, such as counselling.

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 29 MYSECTI CARONEER Carole Ferrier: Fighting the Good Fight for Forty Years In 1973 Carole Ferrier raised more than a few eyebrows when she arrived in a red Alfa Romeo at the University of Queensland (UQ) to take up a lectureship in the rather stuffy English Department. An out- spoken feminist and political activist, she’s still making waves. Now a Professor of Literature and Wom- en’s Studies, she spoke to Carmel Shute, about what keeps her going, forty years later.

‘I’m still excited by the education I’m getting landic as part of their honours degree. We the year before Ferrier arrived, and Ferrier – and I’m still keen to keep teaching and thought we were in the process of changing quickly teamed up with Thornton and others keep the forces of darkness at bay. Back in the university.’ to build a major, an ambition which took 1973, Brisbane was a radical place. The years to achieve. In the English Department, Ferrier was transforming herself at the same student movement at UQ rivalled Monash’s. she initiated courses on women writers and time. She grew up in the British military It was the tail end of the movement feminist literary theory and criticism while and went to 15 schools, living in places against the Vietnam War. Rising up was in the Politics Department Di Zetlin (later a like Malta and Germany. She married an the women’s movement and the anti-racist President of FAUSA, and inaugural NTEU ex-RAF airline pilot at the age of 17 and mobilisations that grew out of the influential National President) developed a course moved to New Zealand where she com- Springboks demonstrations and the 1960s on women and politics. Cross-disciplinary pleted her BA (Honours) externally from the Aboriginal rights struggles. courses drew in dozens of other academics. University of London and then a doctorate The major, finally approved in 1980, was ‘I’d had a completely conventional aca- at the University of Auckland. initially offered in conjunction with Deakin demic training, ten three hour examinations Philosopher Merle Thornton had started and Murdoch universities. on Brit Lit that stopped at the early twentieth UQ’s first women’s studies course in 1972, century – my doctorate was on establishing the correct texts of D.H. Lawrence’s poetry! At UQ, I continued my own further educa- tion, begun in the movements in Auckland, in terms of race and ethnicity, class, gender and sexuality,’ Ferrier said. ‘I immediately clicked with fellow lecturer Dan O’Neill, and together we transformed a boring course called Prose B into one which started with the Communist Manifesto and went on to Émile Zola, The Ragged-Trou- sered Philanthropists and Iris Murdoch! The English Department began to offer courses on literature and society, literature, strug- gle and revolution, literature and gender, postcolonial approaches and working-class writing. ‘The students were so keen, and eager for study that was relevant to understand- ing – even transforming – the ugliness of what was called then the military-industrial complex. The English Department was still locked into making students study Old Ice-

30 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 MY CAREER

‘Over the past year, we’ve fought a huge of socialist movements in the 1920s and he wanted mine owners to be able to battle to save the gender studies major at 1930s through biography, political history, export uranium unimpeded by demonstra- UQ. We lost that fight but did manage to and proletarian literature. It’s tremendously tors. In 1977, 418 of us were arrested at set up a minor. The area has undergone exciting.’ an anti-uranium rally and it set the scene quite a revamp, though not to the degree for the next decade. Despite thousands of Ferrier became interested in historical that’s happened at Sydney and Melbourne arrests, Bjelke-Petersen’s attempt to stifle enquiry soon after landing at UQ. universities where dedicated staff were dissent failed, and the strength of those appointed to remodel ‘I used to sit in on movements, with huge support from left the programs. Raymond Evans’s unionists, played a big role in the replace- Students are flocking lectures on race ment of that government by Labor.’ to the new courses relations in the His- Ferrier, who for quite some time was a there but, over 41 tory Department and member of the International Socialists, was years, UQ has never eventually ended up also heavily involved in the 1985 SEQEB had dedicated staff or editing and writing dispute (when the Queensland Govern- any funding for the Radical Brisbane with ment sacked 1100 electricity workers in women’s/gender stud- him in 2004. It was an attempt to privatise the industry), action ies program,’ Ferrier a follow-on from the around the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth said. first of two volumes Games, the 1988 Bicentennial organised by of Radical Melbourne ‘Now UQ is the only the Black movement, and the MUA water- published by Vulgar place in the whole front dispute. Press which had state to offer a gender been set up by In 1975, International Women’s Year, Fer- studies program, Ian Syson (now a rier assumed editorship of the brand-new but students want- senior lecturer at women’s interdisciplinary journal, Hecate, ing to do honours Victoria University), a position she still holds. It is the longest or postgraduate a doctoral student of running feminist scholarly journal in Aus- research will have to mine. A lot of people tralia by far, and was one of the first in the go interstate. This just looked bemused and international arena. She is currently editing reinforces the Shallow said, ‘What radical an issue on feminism and ecology. South’s old percep- Brisbane?’, but our tions of Queensland’s Ferrier also takes a role in raising two book makes the case backwardness.’ grandchildren, girls aged eight and four- convincingly for the teen. What’s given Ferrier Red North.’ enormous satisfaction is her work on fire- ‘I’m always frantically busy but I’m lucky I Ferrier played her brand Queensland writer, Jean Devanny, love what I do. I still own part in Bris- who was a feminist and also a member and, enjoy teaching and bane’s radical past, sometimes organiser, of the Communist my own education being arrested over Party of Australia. In 1986, Ferrier edited still goes on. The 30 times during the Point of Departure: The Autobiography of excitement of discov- ‘right to march’ and Jean Devanny (UQP, reissued 2009) and ering new writers and democratic rights in 1999 published a full-scale biography, building new fields demonstrations in the Romantic Revolutionary (MUP). Ferrier also of enquiry hasn’t 70s and 80s. edited, As Good as a Yarn With You: Let- dimmed, though the ters Between Franklin, Prichard, Devanny, ‘I got arrested so terms might have Barnard, Eldershaw and Dark (Cambridge often that people changed. In taking University Press) in 1994. asked why I kept race, class, gender throwing myself at and sexuality into ‘Romantic Revolutionary mostly focussed on the police. I wasn’t. account, our frame- Devanny’s little known but fascinating life As I’ve been able to works for interpreting and was not so much about her writing. establish from my the world are much Just recently I’ve returned to looking at her Special Branch file, more complex and fiction, some of which still remains unpub- which I now have, much more interest- lished. I’m also situating her in the broader some of us were ing, as they continue international context of writers like the singled out for arrest. to evolve.’ Bolshevik Alexandra Kollantai who emerged They had identity out of the revolutionary upheaval of the Carmel Shute is the mugshots that they early part of the twentieth century,’ Ferrier NTEU’s media officer showed to the cops said. and was deputy editor of before demonstra- Hecate from 1975-77. ‘As part of this, I’m working with Paula tions. Special Branch Rabinowitz from the University of Minne- also remarked in their Above left: Carole sota, Ruth Barraclough from the ANU, and reports that all my cars were red, perhaps Ferrier at the Emma Miller statue in Brisbane’s King George Square during a walking tour for the others on a project called ‘Red Love Across assuming they resembled my politics. They 2005 Suffrage Conference. Photo from www. the Pacific’ which brings together schol- could be right about that,’ she laughs. emsah.uq.edu.au ars of feminist history and literature from ‘What a lot of people don’t appreciate is Above right: Carole Ferrier with Merle Thornton. New Zealand, China, Japan and America. that [Premier] Bjelke-Petersen initially denied Together, we’re mapping the intimate life Opposite page: Hecate collective, 1975, with Queenslanders the ‘right to march’ because Carmel Shute (far left) & Carole Ferrier (far right).

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 31 MY CAREER Carol johnson political scientist An expert in Australian politics, Professor Carol Johnson’s academic career in the discipline of political science spans more than 30 years. Carol has worked at the University of Adelaide for most of that time, with two brief periods – the first at the University of Technology, Sydney in the mid-1980s, where she taught communications and the second at the Australian National University in the mid-1990s, where she was a Visiting Fellow in the Political Science Program, Research School of Social Sciences.

Carol joined FAUSA (one of the NTEU’s of Government) to complete her Masters being affected by these policies. Currently predecessor unions) in the 1980s and in Economics and returned to Adelaide we are seeing this being played out in the has been Vice-President of her Branch at University to complete her PhD because her policies of both the Labor and Liberal parties Adelaide, as well as a delegate to the NTEU particular interest was in Australian politics. towards asylum seekers.’ National Council, the major decision-mak- ‘The politics discipline at Adelaide University Later this year, she’ll be co-convening (with ing body of the Union. encompasses gender, race, ethnicity and John Wanna) the National Political Science ‘My parents were academics in English more recently sexuality. So I have been able post-Election Workshop in Canberra, a Literature and Psychology, respectively and to explore a broad concept of politics as gathering of political scientists who will pre- they engendered in me a desire for work- well as undertake specific research into the sent and debate their points of view about ing towards a more just and democratic politics of emotion and analyses of ideology the 2013 Federal Election. society,’ she says. and discourse.’ Carol has seen the Higher Education sector ‘My interest in politics began in my early Her applied research interests focus on how undergo numerous changes and these teens, in the late 1960s where I became governments govern social, economic and changes have impacted on the quality of active in the student body of my high technological change. Carol’s body of work teaching and research, on students’ engage- school, Methodist Ladies College in in this discipline is impressive. Not only has ment in study and in student campaigns, Adelaide, as well as being a member of the she published numerous refereed articles, and on the conditions of university staff. Student Representative Council. It was also chapters and books, but she is also regularly ‘In the last 30 years student numbers have the time of the Vietnam War when student called upon to provide her expert opinion dramatically increased and the increase activism was very strong. After I finished of current political issues in news sources, in the size of tutorials has meant that high school, I was active in student politics such as The Conversation and The Drum. we cannot provide the same individual at University and have continued to nurture ‘The politics of emotions is a particular attention to each student. In the 1970s, my passion for politics and activism as a interest of mine. I have written on how as a student, I attended tutorials of eight teacher, as a researcher and as a union politicians use emotion in their discourse students, in the 1980s, as a teacher, I had member.’ to create, for example, fear, uncertainty or tutorials of 10-13 students and now, in Carol graduated from the University of security. Politicians mobilise emotions and 2013, I have tutorials of over 25 students. Adelaide, moved to Manchester Univer- determine which emotions are legitimate In my experience, students value face-to- sity (where they had an excellent School to recognise and in turn attempt to influ- face contact in tutorials and on-line teach- ence who we should ing needs to complement, not replace feel empathy for. For face-to-face teaching. example, our govern- ‘For example, there is sometimes an ments didn’t recog- assumption that I can just record and regur- nise, until recently, gitate my lectures year after year. I work our feelings of same in a field that is constantly changing and it sex love nor the loving often takes me hours to update each lec- relationship between ture, so playing lectures from previous years Indigenous children won’t work. In addition, if I can’t watch how and their parents. This my students are responding to what I am then legitimised the saying, how can I adjust my lecture as I go policies governments along to meet their needs? There is a lack put in place and legiti- of recognition of the skills of teachers in mised the unjust treat- doing this.’ ment of the people

32 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 MY CAREER

Carol says students are still very interested for communicating your research to the strong union that can defend the interests in politics but it is harder for students to be broader public. of staff. politically active. ‘Research evaluation exercises often privi- ‘The NTEU has achieved considerable ‘Since the advent of voluntary student lege conservative mainstream journals that success in improving the pay and condi- unionism, it has not been possible for don’t value research on social justice issues. tions of university staff. The huge challenge student organisations to have the funding So this type of research is not ranked highly the Union faces now, is the increasing they need for education campaigns. Also it in the ERA and is therefore considered less casualisation of the workforce. There are is harder for students to be active politically valuable. so many bright and capable good teachers when many work long hours a week, in who are casual.’ ‘Research in the humanities and social sci- casual work, in order to cover the costs of ences often needs time, not large grants When asked, What can the NTEU do going to university. and because this type of research can be better?, Carol says that ‘the NTEU needs During the last 30 years, Carol has also produced cheaply, it is undervalued. When to continue to pursue a publicity campaign experienced how the bureaucratisation education is commodified, the monetary that clearly outlines to parents and students of education has meant that academics value of research grants, that is, research how this commodification of education and have taken on a huge administrative load, that costs more is valued more.’ consequent cut backs by governments is which takes time away from research, impacting upon the quality of education Why is this happening? preparation for classes and individual being provided. For example, if students attention to students. In addition, the ‘Well,’ says Carol, ‘the influence of neo- are paying all this money, how come their teaching loads of academics have liberal ideology, offers a narrow definition of classes are larger, how come it is harder for increased dramatically. what the economy is, especially areas of the them to get to speak with a staff member?’ economy that are in the public sector. Carol also believes that academics have a Does Carol have time to pursue other inter- responsibility to write for a broader audi- ‘Despite education in Australia being the ests? ‘Nowadays, she says, ‘it is very hard ence. ‘But,’ she says, ‘research evaluation fourth largest export industry, it seems per- for academics to have hobbies and interests exercises are encouraging narrower percep- missible to make cuts in higher education. outside of work. Difficult as it is, I’ve man- tions of what constitutes academic research. This ideological shift has impacted on what aged to pursue my other passion, which is Universities discourage academics from universities are able to do, how universities film. So, yes, I still manage to see as many producing work for public debate because are valued and how research is valued.’ movies as I can.’ the focus is on research publications for An active unionist for nearly 30 years, Helena Spyrou, Education & Training Officer, research evaluation. There is no credit given Carol believes that it is essential to have a NTEU National Office

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 33 scSECTIienceON chicks can’t code I’ve seen The Social Network enough times to know that computer programmers tend to be skinny, anti- social twerps, who occasionally get punked by the cool kids before getting rich by stealing great ideas from their taller, more socially adroit counterparts. Oh, and they’re all dudes.

The last part of this cartoonish stereotype questions, or if we have them, we’re not enough to cook a nice dinner for their is actually true, and recently a well-known supposed to express them where women children. It was a pretty smart, thought out entrepreneur sparked a big, angry interwebs can hear.’ thread, especially for the internet. debate when he posited that the reason this Of the hundreds of comments that flooded It was so smart and reasonable, in fact, that boys’ club exists is that women are geneti- his site, one of the most popular is from a Winer walked back from his theory. In the cally predisposed to suck at coding. female programmer who points out that meantime, the term ‘brogrammer’ is here It all started when Jason Pontin, editor and scientifically, men’s and women’s brains are to stay. publisher of the MIT Technology Review, not that different. Meaning yes, women can Originally published by Versha Sharma on Vocativ posted on Facebook about the ‘den of easily channel the patience to hunt if they (www.vocativ.com). brogrammers’ that lives above the Review’s so choose. And men are innately caring offices, and how there are ‘zero women’ there. He went on to say that most compa- nies function better when they have male WITHOUT WOMEN and female employees. But when Dave Winer, a software entre- COMPUTING AS WE KNOW IT preneur and tech blogger, joined the fray, things got a little bit heated. ‘You got WOULD NOT EXIST problems with men?’ he asked commenters on Pontin’s Facebook thread. ‘Why don’t ADA LOVELACE HEDY LAMARR you like men acting like men?… People often jump to the conclusion that [the lack of female programmers] is the fault of men, because basically that’s our job, to be wrong and at blame.’ So what does Winer think is the reason for the lack of women employed in computer science? ‘There’s something about programming that makes many women not want to do it,’ he Wrote the first algorithm encoded for Co-invented spread spectrum writes. ‘Programming is a very modal activ- processing by a machine and envisioned communications and frequency ity. To be any good at it you have to focus. computers beyond mere calculating. hopping, necessary for today’s wifi. And be very patient. I imagine it’s a lot like sitting in a blind waiting for a rabbit to show up so you can grab it and bring it home for TOP SECRET ROSIES GRACE HOPPER dinner. There is specialization in our spe- cies. It seems pretty clear that programming as it exists today is a mostly male thing. Which also raises the obvious question that perhaps we can make it so that it can better-use the abilities of the other half of our species?’ To be fair, Winer does say that he wants to work with more women, and he specifi- cally invited female readers to comment on his theory. Which they did. En masse. To Worked calculating complex ballistic Developed the first compiler for a the point that he closed the comments on trajectory tables in WWII. As electronic computer programming language his site. But not before some real hard- computers were built, they taught and conceptualised the idea of core ‘brogrammers’ joined the fray. ‘The the computers to do as they had done, machine-independent programming becoming the first programmers. languages. reason people are reacting this way,’ one commenter writes, ‘is because men are Sources: Wikipedia, Scientopia. not supposed to have opinions on gender Original infographic concept: WomenRockScience.tumblr.com

34 VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 science

VALENTINA TERESHKOVA – 5O YEAR ANNIVERSARY

16 JUNE 1963 FIRST WOMAN IN SPACE

During her three-day mission, Tereshkova performed various tests on herself to collect data on the female body’s reaction to spaceflight.

“If women can be railroad workers, why can’t they fly in space?”

Source: Wikipedia. Original infographic concept: WomenRockScience.tumblr.com

THESE WOMEN CHANGED THE WORLD WITH SCIENCE... TOO BAD A MAN WAS GIVEN ALL THE CREDIT

CECILIA PAYNE-GAPOSCHKIN Discovered what the sun is made of. Was told not to publish her work by reviewer Henry Norris Russel. Four years later he repeated her work, published it and was given all the credit.

JOCELYN BELL BURNELL Discovered the first pulsar. Her senior Anthony Hewish put himself on the paper; he got all the credit and the Nobel Prize for Physics (together with fellow radio-astronomer Martin Ryle).

LISE MEITNER Co-discovered nuclear fission. The paper was intentionally published without her name, and colleague Otta Hahn won the Nobel Prize. Element 109, meitnerium, is named in her honour.

NETTIE STEVENS Discovered sex was determined by chromosomes. Sent her work to Thomas Morgan. In public he dismissed her as ‘just a technician’. He published his own book on sex determination and took all the credit.

Source: Wikipedia. Original infographic concept: WomenRockScience.tumblr.com

VOLUME 21 SEPTEMBER 2013 35 book review Brilliant Women ‘Brilliant Women: 18th-Century Bluestockings’ Elizabeth Eger & Lucy Peltz, Yale University Press, 2008 It’s little known these days that the term ‘bluestocking’ originally applied to both genders, coined first to refer to the botanist Benjamin Stillingfleet. Stillingfleet sported the blue worsted stockings worn by the working class rather than the ‘more formal’ white silk stockings at one of the parties hosted by Elizabeth Mon- tagu in the mid-18th century.

Montagu, along with Elizabeth Vesey and garb), as well as by statues, plaques and Frances Boscawen, hosted literary salons in ‘friendship boxes’ with miniature portraits. London where women could debate ideas, Portraits often showed them with books literature and art with each other – and or pens in hand and reading, writing or with men. At a time when women had painting. precious few legal rights, ‘the Bluestocking Some like Mary Wollstonecraft, author Circle’, as it became known, offered a space of A Vindication of the Rights of Women where women could exercise both their (1792), and historian Catherine Macauley, intellects and voices in a sociable setting – were enthusiastic supporters of the French and even become friends with men. Revolution and championed women’s rights but they shocked more people by their unconventional sex lives than their ‘uncom- promising politics’. Not surprisingly, the bluestockings attracted misogynist attacks. Alexander Pope and Samuel Johnson were early leaders of the pack. Johnson, even though he was a member of the Blue Stocking Society, couldn’t abide women painters: ‘Public Catherine Macaulay (Robert Edge Pine, c.1775) practice of any art ... and staring in men’s faces, is very indelicate in a female,’ he said. In the reactionary political environment that followed the French Revolution, women’s Later, Lord Byron and Horace Walpole ridi- achievements in the previous century were culed the later generation of bluestockings. swiftly written out of history and the term Walpole famously denounced Wollstone- ‘bluestocking’ used ‘in a disparaging sense, craft as ‘a hyena in petticoats’. Playwright to suggest a certain type of bookish and William Hazlitt said, ‘The bluestocking is the dowdy woman’. most odious character in society...she sinks wherever she is placed, like the yolk of an Carmel Shute, NTEU Media Officer Below: Breaking Up of the Blue Stocking Club Elizabeth Montagu (Allan Ramsay, 1762) egg, to the bottom, and carries the filth with (Thomas Rowlandson, 1815) her.’ These bluestockings replaced popular Byron, though, was forced amusements (such as cards and dancing) to admit that Madame de and alcohol ‘with the more refined pursuits Staël, a bluestocking who of literary conversation and tea drinking’, ran a hugely popular salon Elizabeth Eger and Lucy Peltz, authors of in Paris in the late 18th Brilliant Women: 18th-Century Bluestock- century, was the pre-eminent ings, tell us. ‘Queen of the Blues’ was Mon- female writer of the age. In a tagu, a businesswoman, critic and patrons backhanded compliment, he of the arts, who granted annuities to fellow wrote: ‘She was a woman by female authors after her husband’s death. herself, and has done more The bluestockings were the harbingers of than all the rest of them, the Enlightenment and were celebrated in intellectually; she ought to paintings and etchings (often in classical have been a man.’

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