4. Women
in
Science
and
Engineering
–
THE
ISSUE
• despite
our
best
efforts
we
are
s=ll
not
achieving
gender
equity
• some
of
our
brightest
scien=sts
are
leaving
science
mid-‐career
• too
few
young
women
are
considering
engineering
and
the
physical
sciences
as
poten=al
career
paths.
WiSEsummit
5. Women
in
Science
and
Engineering
–
THE
GOAL
Australia
will
gain
both
economically
and
socially
if
it
can
capture
its
investment
in
training
smart
young
women
in
science
and
engineering
and
nurture
them
into
careers
as
senior
research
and
technology
leaders
WiSEsummit
6. The
WiSE
Summit
aimed
to:
• highlight
the
barriers
facing
women
in
science
and
engineering
careers
• encourage
science
and
engineering
leaders
to
take
prac=cal
steps
to
retain
young
women
scien=sts
and
engineers
• explore
other
opportuni=es
to
improve
gender
equality
in
science
and
engineering.
• WiSE
Summit
was
held
on
11
April
2011
in
Canberra
WiSEsummit
7. WiSE
Summit
was
a?ended
by:
• the
Minister
for
Employment
Par=cipa=on
and
Minister
for
Child
Care,
the
Hon
Kate
Ellis
MP
• more
than
150
senior
managers
from
corpora=ons,
government,
research
ins=tu=ons,
research
funders,
universi=es,
and
non-‐governmental
organisa=ons
• high-‐achieving
young
women
in
science
and
engineering
WiSE
summit
8. Dr
Cathy
Foley,
President
of
Science
&
Technology
Australia,
presented
results
from
a
recent
report:
WiSEsummit
WiSE summit
Women in Science & Engineering Summit
14. Major
commitments
were
made
in
the
three
roundtables:
1. Improving
the
workplace
–
gender
equity
in
ac=on
2. ASrac=ng
school
and
university
students
to
the
physical
sciences,
engineering
and
maths
3. Changing
the
system–leaders
of
science
and
engineering
agencies
in
discussion
with
the
Hon
Kate
Ellis
MP
WiSEsummit
15. ACTION
COMMITTED:
Research
funding
commitments
for
grant
applicants
with
interrupted
careers:
• the
NaNonal
Health
and
Medical
Research
Council
(NHMRC)
will
consider
any
nominated
five
years
rather
than
the
immediate
previous
five
years
• the
Australian
Research
Council
(ARC)
will
extend
the
normal
period
taken
into
account
when
assessing
research
publica=on
records.
WiSEsummit
16. Other
NHMRC
and
ARC
commitments:
• NHMRC
will
undertake
long
term
monitoring
and
address
gender
issues
with
research
ins=tutes
• The
ARC
will:
– consider
the
inclusion
of
outreach
ac=vi=es
in
assessment
for
grants
– share
examples
of
the
benefits
of
increasing
the
par=cipa=on
of
women
in
research.
WiSEsummit
17. CSIRO
commi?ed
to:
• remove
barriers
to
the
promo=on
of
highly
skilled
women,
and
boost
incen=ves
to
encourage
women
to
return
to
the
workforce
aVer
maternity
leave,
by
– increasing
the
number
of
Payne-‐ScoS
awards
– removing
cultural
barriers,
and
building
greater
trust
and
respect
for
women
within
the
organisa=on
– repor=ng
publicly
on
gender
par=cipa=on.
WiSEsummit
18. The
Australian
Technology
Network
of
UniversiNes
commi?ed
to:
• review
performance
targets
and
=me
frames
for
the
number
of
female
academics
employed
at
all
levels
in
science,
technology,
and
engineering
(STE),
so
as
to
– meet
or
exceed
the
propor=on
of
women
employed
across
STE
industries
na=onally.
WiSEsummit
19. The
Bureau
of
Meteorology
commi?ed
to:
• improve
childcare
and
parent
resources
• use
its
website—the
highest
visited
government
website—to
raise
awareness
of
gender
issues.
WiSEsummit
20. Science
&
Technology
Australia
commi?ed
to:
• work
with
scien=fic
socie=es
to
conduct
audits
of
prac=ces
with
a
view
to
increasing
the
par=cipa=on
of
women
through
best
prac=ce
• gather
examples
of
exis=ng
prac=ces,
programs
and
policies
which
have
been
successful
in
increasing
the
par=cipa=on
of
women
• develop
a
toolkit
to
guide
the
science
and
technology
sector.
WiSEsummit
21. Other
major
commitments:
• IBM,
a
significant
employer
of
scien=sts
and
technologists,
will
support
CSIRO’s
Science
in
Schools
program
• Australian
InsNtute
of
Marine
Sciences
commiSed
to
collec=ng
and
publishing
data
on
issues
rela=ng
to
childcare
in
rural
and
regional
Australia.
WiSEsummit
22. All
research
leaders
commi?ed
to:
• support
the
adop=on
the
UN
Women’s
Empowerment
Principles
in
their
home
organisa=ons.
All
parNcipants
commi?ed
to:
• meet
again
to
review
progress
WiSEsummit
23. The
WiSE
tool
kit
will
include:
• a
best-‐prac=ce
guide
for
managers
• a
prac=cal
career
guide
for
female
scien=sts
and
engineers
• a
guide
to
resources
for
encouraging
school
and
ter=ary
students
to
stay
in
science
and
engineering.
WiSEsummit
24. Further
informaNon
www.wise-‐summit.org
Anna-‐Maria
Arabia
www.sta.org.au
WiSEsummit
