Rotary Melbourne members were privileged to have Dr Gael Jennings AM as guest speaker in honour of International Women’s day last week.
The meeting was a first in which we were able to use our Zoom audio-visual capacity to connect with a speaker from a remote location to address a Club luncheon.
Dr Jennings’ evidence-based address on Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) gave everyone present pause to reflect on the disappointing pace of change in equity and inclusion of women in business and leadership and the continuing pervasiveness of harassment and discrimination that women continue to endure, particularly through trolling on social media.
Like Adam Jacoby a week earlier, Gael threw down a challenge to Rotarians to take the lead in addressing these issues.
My own take-away from Gael’s address is that there is a role for all members (men in particular) in promoting this important social change in Rotary and society at large. To do so we need to examine the way we organise to make sure we do not create systemic bias, and examine our own unconscious and unintentional biases that can lead to inappropriate humour, language and interpersonal conduct. Read a useful article on unconscious bias by following this link: https://asana.com/resources/unconscious-bias-examples
My recommendation: take a look at Gael’s address. It can be accessed on our YouTube channel here. For us blokes who think we are not part of the problem, it may feel a bit uncomfortable, but the data on which Gael’s story was base is a collection of factual insights that are undeniable.
We have some great speakers lined up for the weeks ahead. I am looking forward to greeting you as we get back into the swing of in-person meetings.
Background
Gael Jennings is a national TV and radio broadcaster with 25 years’ experience as presenter, reporter and TV executive.
She was the ABC’s first national science and medical reporter for TV News, and for the 7.30 Report, presenter of 7.30 Report, reporter of ABC TV’s Quantum and Catalyst, host of ABC radio 774’s programs, Insight presenter on SBS, and a development producer with ABC TV.
She is a recognised author and is a regular invited Radio & TV commentator.
After graduating with a First Class Honours BSc from the University of Melbourne, Jennings completed her PhD in Immunology at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in 1982.[5]
Gael is an Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Advancing Journalism where she lends her knowledge to future Journalists.
At the University of Melbourne, she is researching the effect of the internet of the neurophysiology of the brain, and the impact of new media on women, including social attitudes towards them and violence against them.
