Women At Work

According to Peter Dutton, the housewives of Australia are at home doing their household budgets. According to Allegra Spender, women are out in the world demanding leadership who don’t expect them to be at home ironing. Allegra is the Independent MP for Wentworth, focusing on bringing humanity back into politics, climate action, building a kinder, more inclusive society, and making sure those 'women at home doing the budgets' don’t crumble under the weight of the cost of living crisis we’re in right now. Unsprisingly impressive, Allegra has degrees from Cambridge, University of London, Harvard and Dartmouth, deep corporate and public experience, and she’s doing it all as a mother of three. We’re heading into a federal election this year, and because I think it’s so important we’re represented by someone who doesn’t think our place is in the kitchen, I’ve invited Allegra to chat with me about her hopes for the future. Full disclosure I campaigned for her last election and will be again this time. But with dua

When you look up Professor Rae Cooper on Google Scholar, there are 2659 citations. Rae is Professor at the University of Sydney, where she is the founding Director of the Australian Centre for Gender Equality and Inclusion @ Work. She also has multiple fellowships, collaborations with groups like the Australian Human Rights Commission and the OECD, and is generally incredibly impressive and knowledgeable. Rae is one of Australia’s leading experts on the many aspects of women’s working lives. She is an Order of Australia, a mother of two, and she says it like she thinks it.  In today’s chat, we speak about: The midlife collision of work, care, the mental load, the physical load, caring for parents, and women are exhausted. Employer solutions like flexibility, and ensuring people aren't penalised for taking it. Government solutions such as Paid Parental Leave and policy architecture. How women feel like they have to do everything twice as well, while their mistakes are amplified. The motherhood penal

I currently have plantar fasciitis, which is essentially a sore heel, and I’ve been told it can be symptom of perimenopause. But what can NOT be a symptom of perimenopause I ask!? Well, on this episode I am joined by Dr. Charlotte Middleton. She’s an integrative GP with over 25 years of expertise, specialising in women’s health. She founded Dr Charlotte’s Web, focused on mothers and their babies, and is about to open a new integrative medicine clinic. I came across her via Biolae – a supplement company – where she is Chief Medical Officer. She’s also a mum, navigating a man’s world in the medical field. The latest reported gender pay gap for full-time medical specialists was 33.6%. If you want to know what peri-menopause is, how we know if we’re in it, and how to deal with the symptoms, as well as a bit of Doctor Charlotte’s own story listen on.

Joy Adan is a Filipino-born presenter, writer and artist from Western Sydney. She’s passionate about challenging the status quo, and said after she had children she sat down with her husband and said, ‘whatever this partnership is, the terms have now changed.” If you want some honest truths – like I love my child AND I find this really hard – are interested to know what it looks like to rewrite cultural and gender roles, and you need permission to discard the lessons we’ve been taught about self sacrifice, Joy is your woman.   

Jane Caro is a renowned feminist author and social commentator, known for saying exactly what’s on her mind. She’s known for her sharp wit, her humour and fearless advocacy for gender equality, and is a pioneering feminist in Australia who’s name you most likely already know. Jane is a Walkley Award winner, a Member of the Order of Australia, a mother, a grandmother, a wife, a beef producer and a timber grower. I’m honoured to have the opportunity to speak with her, and I hope you enjoy her passion and humour as she talks about all things feminism. 

*This summer we're re-releasing previous episodes that we loved. Here is Koa Beck  episode from 2021*   

*This summer we're re-releasing previous episodes that we loved. Here is Jess Hill episode from 2021*  Investigative journalist Jess Hill wrote the award-winning See What You Made Me Do, about the national emergency of domestic abuse in Australia. It’s a riveting but deeply distressing look at the real-life stories of women and children, how the justice system enables abusers, and hope for reducing violence through community intervention. Please note there is a content warning on this episode. It’s incredibly important listening, but it’s also upsetting at points, and we discuss family violence and child abuse.  

Diversity Council of Australia CEO Lisa Annese is a self-described feminist and activist, working to improve gender equality in Australian workplaces. She is passionate about the connection between the gendered roles we still expect at home with a lack of progress for women in workplaces.  Lisa shared research from the DCA that shows men’s mental health and wellbeing benefits from being in gender equal relationships, families and workplaces. The conversation around men’s mental health and women wanting flexibility and support in the workplace are two sides of the same coin, and Lisa’s deep knowledge around gender issues led us on a fascinating discussion.

*This summer we're re-releasing previous episodes that we loved. Here is Catherine Fox episode from 2019*  The speed of change with the gender equality, and changes that contribute to hope The Persisterhood The seven myths of women at work The four stages of gender equity awareness The male breadwinner model in Australia and how it impacts progress The importance of financial freedom for women, and teaching that to girls Invisibility of older women and statistics around homelessness How can we make change ourselves, and gathering groups together to drive change Benefits of long daycare for children  

*This summer we're re-releasing previous episodes that we loved. Here is Kirstin Ferguson's episode from 2019*  Kirstin Ferguson shared the inspiring stories of 757 women in her #CelebratingWomen movement as a push back against the toxicity of the online world for women. In this conversation we talked about the movement, her resulting book WomenKind, and how we can all advocate for change wherever we are.  

*This summer we're re-releasing previous episodes that we loved. Here is Jamila Rizvi episode from 2018*  We will rise together or not at all Jamila Rizvia is an author, presenter, political commentator, the newly appointed editor-at-large of Future Women, former editor-in-chief of MamaMia. She has written two books, Not Just Lucky and The Motherhood, and signs off her emails Troublemaker At Large, which is a great sign. We discuss: a series of hilarious but also scary statistics, like the fact that there are more men named Andrew than women running ASX200 companies Tips for negotiating, such as focus on what you want, not what you’ve got The structural inequalities that we live in, and the importance of understanding them so we can see it’s not ‘just me’ Diversity is proven to shift the bottom line in organisations, so how do we make workplaces work better for women A glorious story about how Barak Obama’s female staff supported each others ideas and in being heard That we can all be part of the sisterhood

*This summer we're re-releasing previous episodes that we loved. Here is Caroline Patrick episode from 2018*    “I remember those days were just so challenging. He was traveling for work, I was traveling for work...There was a moment where we were just hoping the various planes we were on weren’t delayed so that we could pick up the kids!” Caroline Patrick is one of Australia’s most passionate marketers, ticking off a variety of achievements such as revitalising one of Australia’s most loved brands, launching a health fund, and winning Australian Marketing Institute Certified Practising Marketer of the Year Award. Currently, Caroline sits on the Executive Management Team at the Radio Rentals Group and is part of a team driving business transformation. Caroline has been making very deliberate choices aiming for a balanced and fulfilled lifestyle and career, and now  lives in the beautiful Adelaide Hills, supported by her stay at home husband Iain and their two children Amelia, 11 and Cameron, 8. What we cover:

*This summer we're re-releasing previous episodes that we loved. Here is Tracey Spicer episode from 2018*   Equality starts in the lounge room before the boardroom. Tracey Spicer is a television presenter, journalist and author. Recently appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for her work in journalism and for her ambassadorships for social welfare and charitable organisations. She led the public voice of the #MeToo movement in Australia, breaking the Don Burke story. Tracey's lifelong passion is amplifying women's voices, and in today's conversation we discuss creating equality in the home and in the workplace. We discuss: ½ of women experience pregnancy discrimination in the workplace Your job is to be prepared by finding out the state and federal legislation and creating a strategy The gender pay gap Tracey didn't ask for a pay rise for 14 years Now she says to always ask for more than you think you're worth The gender pay gap in her own household Do your research and keep notes Know when

It started with the question, ‘how do you do it all?’. As my understanding of the systemic barriers that women face, structural inequalities at work and in our homes, and what we can do to change it evolved, so, too, has the conversation. Now, I speak to thought leaders in the gender equity industry, women making waves through their activism, and women who work in big jobs and aren’t afraid to speak the truth of what it takes. 

Mary Wooldridge is the CEO of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency. Her career goals have all been about making an impact and driving change, and although change is slow, she hopes to accelerate it in the future. In this episode, we cover: The recent (slight) reduction in the gender pay gap, driven by increases in aged-care industry salaries The benefits of part-time and flexible work Men, parental leave and valuing care The connection between gender stereotypes and the gender pay gap What women do with their spare time Gender segregated industries  Grasping opportunities to be part of change

Mundanara is the Managing Director/ Co-Founder and workshop facilitator of the BlackCard PtyLtd, a 100% Aboriginal owned business certified with Supply Nation. BlackCard's co-founder is Dr Lilla Watson, a respected Aboriginal elder, artist and educator.  BlackCard’s purpose is working with people, not for people, with the genius of Aboriginal Knowledge. In this episode we cover: How to introduce ourselves based on humanness, and who you are is more important than what you do.  Mundanara's work with the BlackCard, reducing conflict and racism within organisations Creating a university-level education where elders are the cultural reference point What it means to live by Aboriginal terms of engagement Some shocking statistics on life expectancy, poverty levels and the Stolen Generation - of which Mundanara's mother is one Breaking intergenerational cycles of trauma and poverty Mother guilt, and feeling our emotions Hope she has for the future, and to one day be a grandmother

Imogen Hewitt is Chief Media Officer of Publicis Media and CEO of Spark Foundry, having spent 25 years in creative agencies.  Recently, she was named #3 in Mediaweek Australia’s 2023 Agency 50 Power List and has been recognised on the B&T Women In Media Power List every year since 2017. She was also previously named as one of Campaign Asia’s ‘Women to Watch’ in 2017 and 2020. The themes throughout her conversation are presence, imperfection and partnership, to move us towards more happiness on the happy to chaos scale of life.  This was a really fun conversation! In this episode, we discuss: Why telling the truth helps stop unrealistic expectations An illusion of perfection does a disservice to those coming after you The importance of true partnership in realising your dreams and making life better Imogen and her husband tested out both working part-time, each working full-time, and now he’s a stay at home parent while she is the full time earner Being flexible in your approach, and stepping back to make

Lisa Grinham runs the Sydney Women's Fund, founded on the idea that when you invest in women, communities benefit. Leaving her corporate career behind Lisa moved into the charitable sector, and loves that her work makes a maningful impact. We talked about the challenges women are facing right now and how SWF supports them, the importance of community and creating solutions from within, the bais women still face, and so much more. This was a really fun conversation, I hope the time flies by for you too! In this episode we discuss:   The Sydney Women's Fund's mission to improve the lives of women and their families. They have given out $18m in funding to support women! The Sydney Women's Portrait research that now covers 10 years, looking at the trends of life and experience for women in Sydney For 80% of women, cost of living is currently their greatest concern. 47% of women are overwhelmed, and the same percentage have little time to pursue things that matter to them The imperative of maintaining finacial s

Padma Raman's CV is impressive, to say the least. Currently Executive Director of the Office for Women (OFW) at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, previously CEO of Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety Limited, Chief Executive of the Australian Human Rights Commission and CEO of the Victorian Law Reform Commission, all while raising two daughters with her husband and overcoming the additional barriers of being a women of colour in Australia.   Having made a huge difference in her career, she puts it down to 'luck' but I don't imagine anyone makes such an impact because they got lucky.  She talks about Australia's Working for Women gender equity strategy, bringing others on the journey with us, the additional challenge of being a woman of colour, and how we can disrupt the status quo. 

Catherine Fox is a Walkley Award–winning journalist who has spent two decades writing about women at work. In 2022 she was made a member of the Order of Australia for services to journalism and gender equity.   She is mother to two adult daughters, and is a beacon of a woman opening as many doors as she can for the women following behind her.