fire #3 Mar-May 2017

Opinion
THE HON JACQUIE PETRUSMA MP
WHAT PART
Will You Play?
THE HON JACQUIE PETRUSMA MP, TASMANIAN MINISTER
FOR WOMEN, DISCUSSES THE ROLE WE ALL MUST PLAY
IN ELIMINATING GENDER BIAS.
Over the years, I have met some
outstanding women and girls;
members of our community
who are making a positive difference
across a range of economic, social and
professional spheres.
Sadly, I’ve also seen a large amount
of gender bias – whether conscious or
unconscious, especially in regards to
leadership and decision making.
Management and leadership
are still today, commonly seen as
masculine roles. Consciously or
unconsciously, men are considered to
be more suitable for an appointment
than women, even when women can
demonstrate relevant qualifications,
experience and skills; and there is
an ingrained but mistaken belief that
merit will be rewarded.
And, it is not just men who think
men are more suited to appointment
than women – women can also share
the belief that management and
leadership are masculine roles.
As a result, men are
disproportionately chosen ahead of
women for leadership roles. Changing
this bias means changing cemented
patterns of thought – for both men
and women.
6 FIRE MAGAZINE // MAR – MAY 2017
When women occupy leadership
positions, benefits not only flow
to the organisation, but also to the
community as a whole.
As women represent over half
our population, by not investing in
women, organisations are missing
out – half their client base is usually
women, so it is important that
organisations know the perspective
of women.
Research has shown that companies
with a higher proportion of women in
management are the companies that
have the best financial performance,
corporate image and competitive edge
as they are able to draw from a broader
pool of talent as women bring different
perspectives, new ideas and new ways
of thinking.
Having more women in positions
of responsibility also sends a very
strong and positive message to girls
and young women that they are equal
to boys and men, and that they too can
aspire to go as far as they want.
By having more women in
leadership roles, we begin to change
attitudes across the board with a flow
on to all aspects of society.
The Tasmanian Government is
committed to leading by example, by
achieving 50 per cent representation
of women on our Government
boards through our Women on
Boards Strategy 2015-2020. The
strategy contains actions that will
make this target possible through
promoting leadership and training
opportunities, using executive search
firms, networking with professional
industry bodies, mentoring as well as
governance training for women.
Men will also be active partners in
the strategy, particularly given the role
men play in putting people forward for
employment or board appointments.
Gender equality is a complex
matter, and each of us has a role to
play. As a modern society, we need
initiatives that will positively empower
women, particularly amongst our
younger generation and future leaders.
What part will you play in
this process?
The Hon Jacquie Petrusma MP
is the Tasmanian Minister for
Human Services and Minister
for Women. Follow her on
Facebook.com/jacquie.petrusma