Campaign to get more women on boards

Many young women don’t like hearing it but gender remains an insidious barrier to their career progression, a conference will be told.

More than 100 of the ASX200 companies don’t have a single woman on their boards and fewer than 3 per cent of them can boast a female chief executive officer.

Only 8.9 per cent of directors of ASX200 companies are female.

“A lot of young women don’t believe it but they need to realise gender is an issue for them,” says Claire Braund, founder of Women on Boards.

“There will be a 2-5 per cent pay gap between them and their male counterparts within three years of leaving university.

“Bonuses is where it often happens because they are often at the discretion of the partners and no matter how good things get with policies like paid parental leave, the perception is still that women will not be as good as the men next to them.

“They’re just not on the same trajectory.”

Braund, a former political journalist and rural industries advocate, will be one of several speakers at next month’s Macquarie University Women, Management and Work conference.

The annual conference has been staged for more than 20 years to shine light on the reasons behind the lack of female leaders in Australia and to explore pathways forward.

This year’s speakers include Minister for Housing and for the Status of Women, Tanya Plibersek, who will forecast new directions in the world of work as well as Asciano’s director of corporate development and government relations, Helen Newell, who will offer strategies and tactics on how women can flourish on an executive team.

Braund will explain the value of board experience for women.

“I started Women on Boards because of the extraordinary lack of women on boards and the fact no one was doing anything about it,” she says.

With a background in media and public relations, Braund worked with the Office of Women and other stakeholders to build a website which has grown into a national program aimed at improving gender balance on Australian company boards.

Today, Women on Boards boasts 7000 subscribers – women from all sectors and industries – and partners with the corporate, government, not-for-profit and sports sectors to hold events, create opportunities for women and mentor women into directorships.

Braund discovered first-hand that hard work isn’t always enough.

“I was a very young, successful female in a very blokey industry. I was in a management role for the Australian Beef Association,” she says.

“I put my heart, life and soul into it and then spent two years going through a nasty court case about the way I was dismissed.

“It was a very hard lesson to learn at 27 years old. It makes you think about who you are and where you are going.

“You sail along, thinking you are invincible and that doing a good job is enough but it’s about politics and who you know and how you play.

“I’ve never worked for anyone ever again.”

Now 39, Braund has created a niche for herself as an advocate for women. She urges them plan for a board position from university onwards.

“Smart young things in their 20s should think of taking work on a board because it gives you an edge,” she says.

“If you have to step out in your 30s to have a baby or care for a parent, it gives you another in.”

But Braund warns against giving up your day job for a board position. Most don’t pay well.

Government boards pay about $26,500 for directors and double for a chair and while there’s more than 35,000 not-for-profit organisations registered with the Australian Taxation Office, only 10 per cent pay directors of boards. Most are voluntary.

Nevertheless, the experience is priceless.

“Boards give you a different perspective on your current job – you get to understand why decisions are made in certain situations,” she says.

“That enables you to develop political skill. It looks good to your employer and it gives you a small point of difference which you may need in workplace hustle and bustle to get senior roles.

“You may also bump into other interesting people who can help in your career.”

Macquarie University Women Management and Work conference will be held from July 29-30 at Sofitel, Sydney, Wentworth.

More info at www.lmsf.mq.edu.au/wmwc

HOW TO GET ON A BOARD

* Think about what sector you want. Not-for-profit or corporate? What area? Start-ups? Mental health?
* What transferable skills do you have?
* How can you pitch yourself to those people/organisations?
* Have a look at their websites. How many directors are there? How many are women? Are there any obvious gaps? What’s the client base? What are their issues?
* Network with those people/organisations and tell them you are interested in being on a board and being a director. If you don’t tell anyone, no one will know.
* Tell your HR director you are looking to do this. What organisations does your company sponsor? Talk to your CEO about it. What’s your company’s policy about boards?