Griffith University proudly acknowledges International Women’s Day, which celebrates and recognises the diversity of women, their experiences and achievements, and empowers individuals and the community towards advancing gender equity and inclusion.
Griffith’s celebrations centre on the United Nations (UN) Women Australia theme ‘Count Her In: Invest in Women’, acknowledging the acceleration of women’s economic empowerment is central to gender equity and entire communities thrive when women have opportunities to earn, learn and lead.
Professor Cindy Shannon AM, Griffith’s Deputy Vice Chancellor (Indigenous, Diversity and Inclusion) and Chair of the Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee notes the strong alignment between Griffith’s strategic priorities and the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day.
“Griffith holds fast to our values placing equality, diversity and inclusion at the forefront of our learning and teaching, research and engagement,” Professor Shannon said.
“We understand the critical role women’s empowerment, particularly economic empowerment, plays in creating a brighter future for all for women, communities, and society at large.
“Griffith is genuinely dedicated to making a difference by creating pathways to education for all; empowering women through education, employment, career progression and leadership, and advancing understanding through leading research and teaching on social justice, gender equity and diversity.”
As a values-based institution, Griffith is proud to work within the Athena Swan Charter framework and was among the first Australian institutions to receive a Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Athena Swan Bronze Institutional Award for enhancing gender equity, diversity, and inclusion and has since been recognised with two Cygnet Awards.
Committed to closing the gender pay gap, Griffith supports career progression for women, setting a target in 2020 for 50 per cent women at senior academic and professional levels by 2025 and results show Griffith is well on the way to achieving these benchmarks.
The 2023 Employment Engagement Survey results showed Griffith staff believe management is genuine in its support for gender equity, scoring three per cent above the national benchmark.
Quality research and advocacy strengthens women’s rights in the economy, politics, and community, and three outstanding Griffith staff members have been making an impact.
Supporting women in sport and understanding power play:
School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science Associate Professor Adele Pavlidis believes sport is a key site of change in Australian society and an important context for changing and challenging attitudes toward women.
Associate Professor Pavlidis’ 15-year body of research contributes findings vital for societal transformation such as female perspectives in sport, motherhood, social media, online safety, mainstream media reporting, the importance of women in governance leadership roles, and marginalisation.
“The tensions in sport are complex, but there is enormous value in identifying the tensions and therefore the opportunities to challenge them,” she said.
Improving rights, safety, and well-being of women with disability
Griffith Alumnus and Inclusive Futures: Reimagining Disability Industry Fellow Karin Swift is passionate about fostering positive change and amplifying the voices of women with disability to enable more inclusive outcomes.
As President of Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA), Ms Swift works to improve the rights, safety and well-being of women, girls, feminine identifying and non-binary people with disabilities.
Ms Swift has provided strategic advice on ‘women with disability and violence’ in South Korea and Indonesia, and represented Australia at the UN Commission on the Status of Women 57 in New York.
“Women with disability have the right to live free of all forms of violence and it’s essential women with disability are included in all strategies to prevent violence against women,” Ms Swift said.
“Women with disability need access to information, support and resources to improve their economic security and to make informed decisions about their health.”
Understanding challenges for women in tourism
Senior lecturer Dr Elaine Yang’s academic career has been focused on exploring issues affecting women in tourism as workers, entrepreneurs, and travellers, and strives to fill the gap in our understanding of women’s experiences in tourism and hospitality around the world.
Dr Yang edited the recently published book, Routledge Handbook on Gender in Tourism: Views on Teaching, Research and Praxis, offering critical insights, diverse perspectives, and practical guidance for future research and policy makers.
Providing an essential contribution to United Nations Development Goal #5: Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls, the book aims to empower silenced voices, challenge conventional knowledge, and explores discrimination, sexualities, and workplace challenges for women in tourism.
International Women’s Day event
Join us for Griffith’s International Women’s Day Gold Coast flagship event hosted by Professor Shannon, for an insightful panel discussion on investing in women to accelerate progress.
When: 10 – 11am, Friday 8 March 2024.
Where: Griffith Business School (G42), 4.23 Function Room, Gold Coast campus.
Register your attendance or watch the live stream.