Introducing the Chairs for Change campaign: because there are no prizes for coming 43rd

By DR KATE HADWEN

Chairman or chair? It’s often the simplest actions that have the greatest impact. With a big gulp and an even bigger dose of courage, I write this call to action in the hope it will convince you to support a campaign to do one simple thing: remove gender from the title of one of the highest offices in corporate Australia.

Chairs for Change is an initiative of Pymble Ladies’ College, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest school for girls. It was inspired by an article published in the AFR in 2022 that carried the headline, “Only 10 per cent of major ASX companies led by a female chairman”.

The headline alone raised an interesting question: is language holding back women from aspiring to lead company boards? The article went on to point out that just 21 blue-chip companies in Australia had female “chairmen”.

The term chairman dates to the 1650s, when the word meant “occupier of a chair of authority”. Today, the reference to gender in the title reinforces stereotypes that tie men to this leadership position.

For this reason, many schools have moved away from headmaster and headmistress to head of school or principal. What a statement it would make should corporate Australia transition from chairman to chair.

Language is a powerful tool. It shapes people and culture, and ultimately changes behaviour. Research shows more women in leadership roles and subsequent improvements in company performance, productivity and profitability, as amply demonstrated by research.

The WGEA and AICD both support a 40:40:20 board model, where 40 per cent of members are male and 40 per cent are female, with the remaining 20 per cent drawn from either gender.

Petschler says mentoring, such as the institute’s Chairs Mentoring Program (which pairs aspiring and emerging female board members with senior ASX 200 chairs and directors), is one way to continue supporting the gender shift.

The growth in female representation in boardrooms and C-suites is gradual, however, a bit like the creep provisions underpinning Australia’s takeover laws.

University of Queensland research reports a 2 per cent a year increase in the number of women joining ASX 200 boards between 2009 and 2021. Its study reveals the two greatest barriers to further progress are affordable childcare and persistent gender stereotypes.

The 100% Project, a not-for-profit group championing gender equality in leadership, noted that stereotypes were preventing men from accessing familyfriendly work arrangements, leaving women to shoulder the burden of home care. It meant that men were continuing the way we use language can influence subconscious biases without us even realising.

At times, we continue to use words we have always used without questioning the inferences and messages they convey in the modern context. Given that we know language reinforces stereotypes, it makes sense to remove gender from a significant leadership title to make it more inclusive. We all know how influential chairs of boards are; starting from the top sends a strong message of support and will encourage other leaders to follow suit.

Australia currently sits in 43rd place on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report. As an Australian, I’ve never really thought of myself as a citizen of a country ranked 43rd by any measure. We’re better than that. It would be a proud day for our country if all boards, whether they represent not-for-profits, ASX 200 companies or family businesses, chose to adopt the gender-neutral title of chair over chairman.

Join us in advocating for Chairs for Change, simply by scanning the QR code on the back page to register your interest in starting the conversation in your workplace.

BY THE NUMBERS

35% OF KEY MANAGEMENT ROLES ARE HELD BY WOMEN

22% OF CHIEF EXECUTIVES ARE FEMALE

34% OF BOARD MEMBERS ARE WOMEN

18% OF BOARDS HAVE A FEMALE CHAIR

22% OF BOARDS ARE ALL-MALE 1% OF BOARDS ARE ALL-FEMALE

20% OF BOARDS HAVE A GENDER BALANCE

SOURCE: WORKPLACE GENDER EQUALITY AGENCY in their careers while women were less available to drive their own.

The group’s Breaking Dad white paper reveals family-friendly work arrangements are available to men, and they want to access them, but are concerned doing so will have a detrimental effect on their career.

This is despite men who are primary caregivers being perceived more favourably by workplaces than those who are the main breadwinners.

The organisation’s vision is to see 100 per cent of leadership talent, female and male, equally contribute to Australia’s social and economic future, adding that organisations need to invest more in creating psychologically safe workforces and drive change to achieve gender equality in parenting, as a precursor to greater gender equality in leadership.

Mary Wooldridge says WGEA data also shows that to attract more women into senior roles, more part-time and flexible roles should be offered.

“Innovative actions we’ve seen from leading employers include creating job sharing or part-time work arrangements for managerial or executive roles, and actively implementing and role-modelling flexible working approaches,” she says.

“These types of measures make it easier for men and women to equally participate in the workforce.”

Why wouldn’t I try and diffuse gender disparity in the workplace, when I become a leader? Having been involved in all-girls teams my entire life, the prospect of having teams without empowered women seems nonsensical.

Being part of an all-female robotics team at Pymble has shown me the drive and interest girls possess in STEM. The international success of Pymble’s robotics pursuits is a testament to our technical capabilities. Through our achievements at competitions, we have demonstrated first-hand that the gender norms and stereotypes that exist surrounding STEM aptitude are false.

Research shows no innate cognitive biological differences between men and women in mathematics; however, men continue to dominate in STEM-related career paths such as engineering. Why?

The disparity is not due to lack of ambition or ability, but due to an imbalance in the industry. The imbalance is perpetuated by a culture that suggests STEM subjects are more suited to boys than girls.

It is vital that we hire women in the STEM workforce because equality and diversity in the workplace benefit all. A diverse workforce, with equal representation of women in STEM careers, breaks down gender barriers and leads to a more innovative environment. Investing in women in STEM not only empowers them, but also benefits society and drives progress.

When I think about building teams in the future, I know that having a diverse representation of women will be essential to achieving our goals and making a real impact. That’s why when I become a leader, I will diffuse gender disparity in the workplace by empowering and employing other women.

As a Year 10 student interested in pursuing medicine, I find it difficult to read the statistics on male dominance in this field, particularly in senior positions. The reality is that women are equally capable in these roles and have been shown to make a positive impact on productivity and profitability when given the opportunity to do so.

Research shows both genders have their own strengths and weaknesses. Women are particularly stronger with emotional intelligence. From my perspective, emotional intelligence is a valuable skillset that helps in improving various aspects of the workplace including communication, relationships and the harmony of the overall environment.

And yet, in 2023, women still face inequality in the workplace – whether it be lower pay or bias and discriminatory behaviour. When I become a leader, I hope to help change this by implementing some simple strategies to reduce gender disparity:

1. Encourage more women to be employed and celebrate their importance and skills in the workplace.

2. Provide gender-bias training and raise awareness across the organisation.

3. Improve culture by setting clear targets for the number of women in board positions, and measuring and reporting on those regularly.

4. Consider organisational processes such as recruitment, promotions and salary reviews to increase women’s participation.

5. Provide mentoring and sponsorship to support women in achieving their career goals in different stages; their increased success would provide the necessary evidence to address the long-standing bias and promote true meritocracy.

Gender disparity in the workplace can be difficult to address and often it seems it is easy for companies to get lost in the sea of gender targets. It can be confusing to know where to start, especially with all the subconscious narratives encouraging women to behave more like men – in what they wear, how they behave and what they need to sacrifice to be a “career woman”.

When I become a leader, the question I will be asking my leadership team is not, “How should we employ more women?” but rather “Why is gender disparity still an issue for this company?” The greatest value of women in the workplace is our individuality; just like men, women have their own strengths, ambitions and talents. So, how can we remove this gendered bias, and build a workforce built on merit?

In order to reach gender equality, everyone within an organisation needs to be committed to solving it together and being brave enough to implement a systemic overhaul. Targets and quotas are not enough; just look at the statistics.

Only 35 per cent of key management roles are held by women. Only 22 per cent of chief executive officers are women. Only 34 per cent of board members are women. And only 20 per cent of boards have gender balance.

Employers need to engage with their employees and the broader business community to raise awareness of the impact of unconscious and conscious gender bias and seek innovative ways to address it.

On this International Women’s Day, I would like us to celebrate what makes each of us valuable to the workplace –our unique experiences, traits and skills.