All Academy Council members have signed the Panel Pledge, making a public commitment to only participate in events where efforts have been taken to ensure women have meaningful representation.
Each Academy Council member holds a significant leadership role and is held in high esteem in their respective fields. Through the Panel Pledge each Council member is now empowered to speak up and create change across the events that they are involved in.
With more than 20 Council members and observers taking the pledge, the impact across the Australian science sector is already being seen. Most recently, a Council member was made aware of an all-male committee at a research institute and highlighted this needed to be addressed.
Signing the Panel Pledge is one of the priorities outlined in the Academy’s Women in STEM Decadal Plan Champion’s response.
In addition, based on feedback from February’s Catalysing Gender Equity 2020 conference, the Academy will create a collection of existing resources and case studies to assist events and conferences in improving their gender balance which will be hosted on STEM Women.
Change is a collaborative effort and Council and the broader Academy encourage all those in STEM to consider how taking the Panel Pledge may have a positive influence on diversity and inclusion in their own networks. To learn more contact diversity@science.org.au.
© 2024 Australian Academy of Science
