For everyone Women’s focus: What would education be without us?

  • By Kerry Green
  • This article was published more than 1 year ago.
  • 7 Dec 2022

Recently, this year’s Women in Leadership Development (WILD) group were asked to consider what education workplaces would look like without women. It sounded like a silly question, but it was worth considering. In small groups the WILDlings illustrated their responses, and these became the stimulus for a deeper discussion about equality.

This could be a motivating discussion to have with your colleagues. You could kick off with women only and then approach your allies. The question can help clarify what you need to promote gender equality, identify where change is needed, and plan local actions. Let me know if you’d like support in facilitating a conversation like this.

Flexible work – are we missing out?

Flexible work options are becoming more common – most notably, the ability to work from home. Women with caring responsibilities have found that their employers are now more open to this arrangement, which improves their work/life balance. However, women working in education have limited options. What flexible work options would you like to see? What might encourage partners (mostly men) to share the caring responsibilities? We’re keen to hear your thoughts, so get in touch:
[email protected]

The finish line

Congratulations on a mighty year. Together, union women fought for and won workplace agreements with historic victories for equality, and we kicked out a male-dominated conservative federal government. We now have a federal parliament with record numbers of women – but that’s just the start. Our 2023 agenda includes holding them to account and looking to better funding for public education.

Next year’s AEU IWD Dinner was held on 7 March – back bigger and better than ever! It’s always a special night to celebrate women and girls in education.

Voice to Parliament

There will be a referendum on the Voice to Parliament in 2023. As you start to consider activities for next year, it’s time for allies to overcome fear and think deeply about teaching the significance of 26 January. I urge you to seek guidance on approaching this topic in the classroom. Follow Aboriginal spokespeople in the media, share what you’ve learnt with your colleagues, and use the curriculum resources produced by Aboriginal educators. We all have a responsibility to promote awareness (mindful of cultural sensitivities) and not expect our First Nations colleagues to do this important work alone.

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