Over the last 12 months we’ve published almost 200 news stories and sent out over 100 newsletters to WOB members. News topics have ranged from the gender pay gap and director IDs to the plight of women and children in the Ukraine and cultural diversity on boards.
Here we take a look back at some of the top 20 articles you have clicked on this year.
1. The Art of Minute Taking
Holding Redlich partner Alyn Tai’s article on effective minute-taking proved to be a popular topic with many WOB members. As she writes, effective minute-taking is an art form that takes experience to master. Alyn’s article examines the legal requirements that apply to board minutes with tips to help boards make sure their minutes are effective, compliant and appropriate for their circumstances.
2. What is the next play in the Netball Australia saga?
To what extent does the Netball Australia Board have to take into consideration vile and racist comments made by a dead billionaire mining magnate more than 30 years ago, when his daughter wants to sponsor the team? That was the question posed by Claire Braund following the fallout from the Netball Australia saga.
3. Come and join WOB’s Cultural Diversity Committee
This article putting out a call out for applications for people to join our Cultural Diversity Committee piqued many readers’ interest well into the New Year. As a result WOB appointed three new members in March.
4. Gender Equality in Sport Still a Challenge for leadership roles
This article on Gender Equality in Sport and leadership roles was first published in July last year, was still attracting plenty of hits well into 2022 and points to a report by Champions of Change Coalition that found women are still being left behind when it comes to leadership roles in our elite sporting bodies.
5. Get on Board in 2022: Five must-read WOB articles to motivate you for the year ahead
One of the first articles published this year - Get on Board in 2022 - our members were clearly ready to get into gear and make the most of 2022 with these helpful articles and resources.
6. Women on Boards, BDO offering two ESG scholarships
In March WOB offered two scholarship places to its new ESG: Opportunities and Risks for Boards program to women serving on a not-for-profit board which was run in collaboration with Directors Australia and BDO. The six-week program looked at the basics of ESG and what you should know to fulfil your duties as a director.
7. Queen Elizabeth II: The Greatest Leader of our Time
Following her death in September, WOB’s Claire Braund paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II “the platinum standard for leadership in an ever-changing world” in her piece The Greatest Leader of Our Time.
8. Cut your teeth on Government Boards
Women on Boards has always been a strong advocate for women adding a government board or committee to their portfolio as an excellent way to gain perspective and expand their director network. This article on government boards looks at the advantages of being on a government board and promoted our government board information sessions.
9 Women in Leadership Culturally Diverse Scholarships
In early January we put a call out for culturally diverse mid to senior-level managers to apply for a scholarship to our Women in Leadership program (now Personal Career Management).
10. Am I boardroom-ready? 8 tips for anyone thinking about joining a board
Claire Braund shares her eight tips for anyone thinking about board roles, now, or in the future. A must-read for anyone starting their board journey.
11. Exploring opportunities to solve the gender pay gap in director remuneration
When asked the question ‘Is there a gender pay gap in director’s remuneration?' the usual answer is 'no'. But is that true? In this discussion paper - Exploring opportunities to solve the gender pay gap in director remuneration - WOB Chair Ruth Medd, explores the hidden bias in director remuneration, hereby called ‘the portfolio effect’ and the impact that paying directors of charity boards would have on the women’s remuneration on boards.
12. Deadline looming for Director IDs: Are you ready?
With the 30 November deadline for Director Identification Number applications (for long-term directors) looming, many WOB members were keen to find out more. This article reminded those who were yet to apply of the deadline and provided information on how to get ready.
13. ‘Catastrophic’ warning for women, girls in Ukraine
In this article WOB member and CARE Australia’s Director Strategy & Enabling Services, Sue Cunningham, called for urgent action to avert a looming humanitarian catastrophe in the Ukraine and called for WOB members to come together to help vulnerable women and children as the escalating violence put millions at risk and threatened to displace hundreds of thousands of civilians.
14. ‘Disturbing’ snapshot of women’s experiences of pregnancy discrimination in the workplace
Laws protecting pregnant women from being discriminated against in the workplace have been in place for more than a quarter of a century, yet women still continue to be sacked, demoted and discriminated against in the workplace simply for having a baby. A report - described as a 'disturbing snapshot of women's expereinces of pregnancy discrimination in the workplace' found that in 2021 there was a 17 per cent increase in calls to not-for-profit community legal centre JobWatch’s helpline compared with 2019 from women who say they have been bullied, dismissed, made redundant or even been subject to disciplinary action after announcing their pregnancy.
15 Director IDs: The Who, How and Why
Women on Boards presenter Dr Kath Hall wrote this exclusive member article on Director IDs: The Who, How and Why in May on the key deadlines around applying for your Director ID and how to go about it.
16 Truth Be Told: (No) Cultural Diversity on Boards
In November, Women on Boards launched the Truth Be Told: (No) Cultural Diversity on Boards report which found that while a gender balance of 40% female has largely been achieved on the boards of organisations across many sectors, the inclusion of culturally diverse and Indigenous Australians has largely been ignored.
17 Christine Holgate: Powerful, passionate and deeply personal
In a Powerful, passionate and deeply personal presentation, Christine Holgate shared her experience of being "thrown under a bus" after being ousted from her job as Australia Post CEO - and the bullying and abuse that followed - at a NSW Central Coast breakfast event on work-related gendered violence. Women on Boards Executive Director Claire Braund reports.
18 The Hon. Theresa May lunches with Women on Boards
At a lunch with Women on Boards in Sydney, the former British Prime Minister, the Hon. Minister Theresa May shared her advice to young Australian women in a bid to boost diversity and female representation in business and politics.
19. Federal Election 2022: How Will Women Vote?
A week out from the General Election in May, Claire Braund spoke with the ABC Radio National about the big issues women were facing going into the election and how the major parties were addressing them which attracted a lot of iterest in the peice Federal Election 2022: How will women vote?
20 Kicking the can down the road again: Gender pay gap nears $1bn a week
“In the 16 years WOB has been in existence the gender pay gap has remained one of the most persistent and thorny issues to solve. This is despite it being critical in terms of the long-term impacts on our economy and society. This excellent report is a must read for employers and governments if we are to avoid kicking this can down the road once more.” CLaire Braund comments on the She’s Price(d)less: The economics of the gender pay gap joint report KPMG, Diversity Council Australia (DCA), and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).