ICRAR has been named a Women in STEM Decadal Plan Champion, joining a host of other organisations around Australia moving towards gender equity.
Australia’s Women in STEM Decadal Plan provides a shared vision for the STEM ecosystem to attract, retain and progress girls and women in STEM education and careers. Gender equity in STEM will make significant and measurable improvements in Australia’s:
- preparedness for the future
- workforce participation
- economic performance
- scientific impacts
- creativity and entrepreneurial activities
ICRAR is a supportive, innovative workplace that actively promotes work life balance, equity and diversity, flexibility and development of staff, students, visitors and collaborators. ICRAR has been recognised with Gold and Silver Pleiades diversity, equity and inclusivity awards by the Astronomical Society of Australia. We believe it is important that we provide a response to the Australian Academy of Science regarding our initiatives, current and planned, that foster gender equality within our institution.
“ICRAR recognises the need for action on many fronts to address the representation and participation of women in astronomical research and STEM careers in general. Actions that promote and enable girls at school to participate in, and succeed at STEM subjects, begins a pathway to greater equality. That pathway must also address biases at many levels, the particular challenges of raising families and the needs of couples in an international and volatile job market. ICRAR, through its DEI and DevCom committees, is actively working on all these areas to ensure we offer a supportive, successful and empowering environment for women in astronomy.”
Professor Peter Quinn, Executive Director
ICRAR’s response to the Decadal Plan was a collaborative effort between ICRAR-Curtin and ICRAR-UWA, clearly representing our commitment to supporting women in STEM. ICRAR’s leadership team is never complacent and constantly looks for ways to promote equity and diversity in the workplace, and also values self reflection and evaluation. The workplace culture at ICRAR is supportive and diverse, and women are visible across all levels of the organisation. ICRAR has a strong track record in delivering real-world projects, and also encourages the participation of women in STEM from the moment a child enters a classroom.
You can read ICRAR’s response to the Decadal Plan in its entirety here: ICRAR Decadal Plan Response
