Cultural diversity is slipping backward
According to the 2020 Board Diversity Index Report published by the Governance Institute, cultural (ethnic) diversity on ASX 300 boards has decreased since 2019. The report found that there is no clear reason for the lack of progress except inaction......so WOB members have decided to take action and formed a working group to address this issue.
The group will have two main areas of focus:
1. Collating diversity facts, telling stories and collaborating.
- Collecting data pertaining to the percentage of representation of culturally diverse women in executive leadership and board roles in Australia.
- Connecting with diverse women in Australia, hearing and telling their stories, barriers, struggles and successes.
- Connecting and collaborating with bodies in Australia who act and promote cultural diversity, to enlarge the influence of our collective action and accelerate progress.
- Promotional activities to raise awareness of the lack of board diversity and understanding why diversity benefits organisations.
2. Influencing and raising awareness to increase understanding and promote a bias to action.
- Creating opportunities for culturally diverse women to connect, network, and interact with decision makers, leading to leadership roles.
- Creating a mentorship program promoting diverse women into leadership roles in Australia.
- Working to break down barriers to ensure that diverse women in Australia are presented with the same career opportunities as their peers.
Working group members
The working group members came together as a result of a discussion on the WOBSHARE platform. They are:
- Ivett Guerra
- Belinda Howell
- Shing Ka
- Sanja Kovac
- Ruth Medd (WOB Chair)
- Malini Raj
- Niti Saraf
Get Involved
We have enough interest in the working group, but if you have a story to share please
email WOB