Professor Cobie Rudd, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Regional Futures) and Ashley Speers, Executive Officer CEOs for Gender Equity together with the 15 local CEO participants at the first ever regional Roundtable for gender equity for WA - held in Bunbury.
On Friday, 7 October 2022, CEO for Gender Equity Member, Professor Cobie Rudd, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Regional Futures) and head of Edith Cowan University (ECU) South West hosted the first regional CEO Roundtable on gender equity for the State, with Western Australia's leading gender equity-based organisation, CEOs for Gender Equity.
CEOs for Gender Equity is a Western Australian based, independent association of CEOs who know that change starts at the top, and it starts with them. Their vision is to accelerate gender equity outcomes through inspiring and supporting CEOs to take action.
"It was fantastic to have 16 regional leaders come together for this roundtable. Leaders must approach inclusion, diversity and gender equality just as they would any other strategic initiative," Professor Rudd said.
"Creating diverse workplaces generates greater innovation capacity and boosts performance productivity. This ultimately impacts the bottom line while having both positive impacts on organisational reputation and job satisfaction."
CEOs for Gender Equity Executive Officer Ashley Spears said CEO Roundtables are unique, intimate, and in-depth conversations.
"They are hosted and convened by a member CEO and they give participants an opportunity to share insights on how their organisations are championing gender equity," she explained.
The Roundtable closed with each CEO making a personal commitment to improve gender equity in their workplace.
The goal is to boost women’s workforce participation, lift productivity, and increase economic growth by sustainably improving gender equity in jobs and pay across Western Australian enterprises.
Visit the CEOs for Gender Equity website for more information, and learn more about ECU's commitment to gender equality.
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As the only university in Australia named after a woman, Edith Dircksey Cowan, ECU is deeply committed to achieving gender equity as both an educator and employer.
In 2018, ECU was named as an Athena Swan Bronze Institution, as one of only 15 Australian institutions recognising how the University is proactively redressing gender inequalities and improving education and opportunities for women, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM).
Subsequently, on 4 August 2022, the University was acknowledged nationally with the inaugural Cygnet Award; part of the international Athena Swan accreditation program managed by the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Initiative. ECU was awarded the first SAGE Cygnet Award in Australia for their work to promote equitable access to flexible working arrangements.
