RMIT experts available for comment ahead of International Women’s Day

Dr Leonora Risse (0401 360 733 or leonora.risse@rmit.edu.au)

Topics: gender equality, women in the workforce, labour economics 

“Women's employment has been one of the biggest casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“In January 2021 there were around 53,000 fewer women in employment in Australia, compared to a year ago. By contrast, men's employment numbers have risen by around 7000.

“But the biggest gender gap has been in the Australian Government's policy responses. Government investments in infrastructure and construction incentives have propped up male-dominated sectors, while many of the sectors that employ large numbers of women have not received such targeted support.

“Activating women's workforce participation across all industries is a crucial ingredient for revitalising the Australian economy and International Women's Day is an opportunity for governments to put their foot on the accelerator to reduce barriers to women's employment as a matter of fairness as well as economic recovery. 

“Tackling the gender biases that still prevail in everyday work practices and wider society - which set a backdrop where harassment and disrespect towards women is more likely to take place - should be forefront in governments' and business leaders' priorities.”

Dr Leonora Risse is a Lecturer in Economics at RMIT University, and a Research Fellow with the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard University. She serves as the National Chair of the Women in Economics Network. Her research specialises on gender differentials in the workforce, the influence of social norms and psychological factors on economic outcomes, disadvantage, inequality and wellbeing. 

Distinguished Professor Sara Charlesworth (0412 889 122 or sara.charlesworth@rmit.edu.au)

Topics: gender and care policy, care workers

“COVID revealed the strained and creaking policy framework in Australia on which many women rely to support their participation in paid employment. 

“Closed or limited schools and formal care services for children, the aged and people with disability shifted a massive burden of unpaid care onto women. At the same time, workers in the care sector, overwhelmingly women, lost hours of work and income.

“The federal government must take an active leadership role and invest in equitable and high-quality care infrastructure to support working carers in Australia that includes decent wages and secure employment for the care workforce.”  

Sara Charlesworth is the Director of RMIT’s Centre for People, Organisation and Work and Professor of Gender, Work and Regulation in the School of Management. 

Dr Fiona  Macdonald (0437 301 065 or fiona.macdonald@rmit.edu.au)

Topic: gender equality in work and employment

“The male breadwinner model of work and family is alive and well in Australia. Research into the working arrangements of two parent families during COVID-19 lockdowns has demonstrated the persistence of entrenched gender inequalities in work. 

"Our recent work in this area shows women are missing out on leadership and career opportunities in their part-time jobs in return for some flexibility at work. At the same time, presenteeism persists for men in jobs with rigid long hours schedules.

“Gender equality in leadership will not be realised until workplaces change their cultures and practices to truly value women’s contributions equally, and to recognise men’s family and care responsibilities.”

Dr Fiona Macdonald is a Vice-Chancellor's Senior Research Fellow in the School of Management. Her research focuses on three interconnected themes: the changing nature of work and employment relationships; regulating for decent work and gender equality; and the political economy of work.

Dr Meagan Tyler (9925 5962 or meagan.tyler@rmit.edu.au) 

Topics: meaning of IWD, violence against women, feminism and IWD

"The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore many pressing issues of gender inequality, from the predominance of women as underpaid frontline health care workers, to women working from home during lockdowns in exacerbated conditions of domestic and family violence. 

"It is more important than ever that we recognise International Women's Day (IWD) is not a day to just celebrate our progress with cupcakes, but to push forward the agenda for the rights of working women. 

"The United Nations theme this year - 'Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world' - draws our attention to the importance of women's equality in public life, as well as the need for us to address the much longer running pandemic of men's violence against women in both private and public spaces." 

Dr Meagan Tyler is a senior lecturer in the School of Management and the Centre for People, Organisation and Work (CPOW) at RMIT. Her work focuses on sexuality, violence against women, and gender inequality and she is a regular media commentator on these topics.

***

For media enquiries, please contact RMIT Communications: 0439 704 077 or news@rmit.edu.au