QUT is improving the representation and progression of women in the STEM disciplines.
QUT Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Coaldrake said while senior women were well represented across the university, there was scope for the employment of more women in some areas of science, technology, engineering and maths.
“We are pleased that 42.4 per cent of senior staff are female, a rate which is slowly increasing each year, and that rates of recruitment and promotion are equitable. New resources and effort will now be directed to women in STEM,” he said.
The University has a Women in STEM strategy, aimed at retaining female staff, which focuses on mentoring and leadership shadowing, as well as training to eliminate unconscious bias. As well, QUT has joined the first pilot of a national strategy – the Athena SWAN program – which requires participating organisations to closely examine their gender equity in STEM, and develop action plans to improve it.
“We want to ensure that our organisational culture is fully inclusive, especially for staff who have career breaks or who work part-time,” he said.
Professor Coaldrake said only sustained attention to multiple dimensions of the organisation’s practices and culture would produce change over time.
“Our ambitions in the STEM areas require the full use of all the talent we can muster, so increasing the numbers of women in STEM has a strong business case behind it, as well as a social justice case,” he said.
Media contact: Rose Trapnell, QUT media team leader, 07 3138 2361 or 0407 585 901 rose.trapnell@qut.edu.au
