IT was hardly surprising that, when WA Business News hosted some of Perth’s female corporate leaders at a boardroom lunch to discuss the topic of women in business, the subject of children was raised from time to time.
IT was hardly surprising that, when WA Business News hosted some of Perth’s female corporate leaders at a boardroom lunch to discuss the topic of women in business, the subject of children was raised from time to time.
But the expectation that family would be discussed among a group of women executives (all mothers) raises the interesting question as to whether a similar group of men, all fathers, would broach that subject.
When WA Business News spoke to Australian Institute of Company Directors WA state manager Suzanne Ardagh about why family life may be raised more commonly in female business groups than men, she took an interesting stance.
“I think it is unrealistic to say women should never talk about their families in their working environment. Women are the primary care givers, so it is hugely impactful on their lifestyle,” Ms Ardagh said.
“We have to accept the fact that women are probably going to be the primary care givers. We need to normalise working mothers, they are women, they work, they have great skills; they might only work three days a week but they manage it all.”
In fact it was the male counterparts for whom Ms Ardagh had sympathy.
“I feel sorry that men have to kind of compartmentalise their life, but that is how it has always been,” she said.
“There is nothing wrong with identifying yourself as to who you are and what you do. If we pretend that people don’t have lives or children or families, that is a very sterile work environment.”
Ms Ardagh said as women like those attending the luncheon, including Energy Resourcing group general manager Nicole Kirwan-Ward and Brumby Resources part-time chief executive Alison Morley, moved into more senior roles, normalisation would start to unfold.
But there were some barriers to this.
“It is the childcare issue; until we get this right we are going to disadvantage women in the workplace,” Ms Ardagh said.
“We make it so hard for women to engage in the workplace. If we want full engagement of the community in the workplace then we have got to make it easy for men and women, families, to do that.”
Results of the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2008 ‘Survey of Persons not in the Labour Force’ support that statement; according to the survey, women find inadequate childcare options a barrier to finding work.
The survey found that, in 2008, 479,100 women wanted to work but weren’t actively seeking work –134,600 said caring for children was the main reason for this.
Fifty five per cent of those cited expense, proximity, availability and the quality of childcare as the barriers to being able to work.
According to Ms Ardagh, businesses need to create inclusive policies in order to avoid losing talent because of childcare barriers.
“The conversations are very robust about how you are going to keep women who are going to have children engaged in the workplace, but we really need to look at what we are doing, not just pay lip service,” she said
Marvic Packaging executive director Kellie Benda agreed that things needed to keep progressing.
“It is that balance of traditional workplace structures that actually needs to change, not just for women but for men as well,” she said.
Committee for Perth chief executive Marion Fulker and Challenger Institute of Technology chief executive Liz Harris agreed that, over time, women have made progress in opening up business opportunities, but that there is still a long way to go.
“I think we have come some way, but as a third-generation career woman, I don’t think we have come far enough,” Ms Fulker said.
