Why the Australian space industry’s culture can make or break gender diversity

By Ali Buchberger Director, Industry Engagement QUT

Mary Jackson smashed structural and cultural barriers when she became NASA’s first black female engineer in 1958. As an ambitious young woman her best option would normally have been to go to secretarial school to learn to have a useful career for the years before she got married. Seventy years on, the first woman is set to land on the moon.

The history of space is a history of female firsts. Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space (1963). Eileen Collins, the first woman Space Shuttle commander (1999). Peggy Whitson, the first woman to command the International Space Station (2008). And with diversity squarely on the agenda of the world’s leading space agencies, we are encouraged to reflect on the tremendous contributions women are making to the growth of the space industry right here in Australia.

However, we are also reminded that the Australian space industry has a lot of work to do to achieve gender parity - particularly at senior levels - and a lot to lose if it doesn’t.

According to the Australian government’s STEM Equity Monitor 2022, women’s workforce participation is gradually increasing (that’s the good news). However, women are significantly underrepresented in leadership. One third of Australian companies currently have no women on their boards. In contrast, only 0.4% of boards have no male directors. Just 23% of senior management and 8% of CEOs in STEM industries are women.

There is clear evidence that Australian space companies do better when they appoint more women to leadership positions. A seminal report by the federal Workplace Gender Equality Agency has found that companies who appointed a female CEO increased their market value by 5% — worth nearly $80 million to an average ASX200 company. Increase the number of women across key leadership positions by 10% or more, and you will increase a company's market value by 6.6% or $105 million.

So, given we will all benefit from gender parity in the Australian space industry, what can be done to attract young women to space, encourage women to sidestep from other industries, and stay?

All the things that workplaces generally should do to improve gender equality: pay equity; prevention of and responses to workplace sexual harassment; recruitment and promotion practices; leave and flexibility options.

But if you believe – as I do – that the Australian space industry is unique, there are also two things that set us apart from other sectors of the Australian economy, and that could help us lead the world in gender diversity.

First, as a young industry we have an unparalleled opportunity to get our culture right from the start. In its recent Women in the Workplace report McKinsey argue a “Great Breakup” is underway where women leaders are switching jobs at the highest rates we’ve ever seen. Young women are even more ambitious and place a higher premium on working in an equitable, supportive, and inclusive workplace. In other words, women need to be convinced that the Australian space industry is something they’d enjoy.

A growing body of research has highlighted the insidious relationship between gender double standards and women’s career progression. As an example, why do we seem to care so little about how men “manage it all” whilst we are deeply interested in how women do? It would be instructive to compare notes with male space executives. Jeff Bezos has four children, Richard Branson two and Elon Musk nine; at varying points all have been fathers of small children whilst managing challenging corporate careers. Who did the school pick-ups? What happened when the kids got sick? Who packed the school lunches and filled out the school forms?

For what it’s worth, my notes include: my kids chose their clothes yesterday from the “lucky dip pile” because I hadn’t had time to put them away; we had porridge and carrot sticks for dinner last night because I hadn’t gone shopping. Sometimes I’m on top of it, often it’s a debacle. I can only imagine how top space executives do it. And I do need to use my imagination because of the top space and aerospace companies, only one – Northrup Grumman - has a female President and CEO. The others have wives.

I mentioned that there are two attractive things about the Australian space sector for women. The second is the type and variety of work that space offers. While the space industry may not provide the mega starting salaries common in the mining sector, we do get to do really interesting things with our time. We play with rockets, lunar rovers and study the stars. Every. Single. Day. I promise your daughter’s classmates will have Mum envy at your next careers day at school. Unless your daughter’s classmates’ parents are superheroes.

If space exploration equals career inspiration, the biggest story in Australian space yet to breach the trade/ mainstream media divide is Australia’s first Moon mission. Australia has joined the global effort to go back to the Moon and on to Mars. In October 2021, the Australian Space Agency announced that it would support the development of an Australian-made “foundation services” rover to operate on the lunar surface from 2026 through its Trailblazer program. Australian space women stand to break multiple glass ceilings through their leading roles in this effort and the next generation of women will be watching, learning and participating when they do. Imagine what a compelling message we could send.

In the world of space, the 1950s seems a long, long time ago. In 2023, Australia’s best and brightest women no longer have no choice how to spend their time and where to build their careers. They have all the choice in the world.