EP#80: Empowering women in the workplace: Why mentoring matters

Work with Purpose: A podcast about the Australian Public Service.

Despite greater flexibility and more opportunities, the recent International Women’s Day has again reminded Australians that gender equity still has some way to go. The country’s gender pay gap persists, and women are still underrepresented in leadership positions according to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

One of the ways workplaces and women themselves are trying to turn the tide, is to offer and actively engage in mentoring. On this episode, guest host and Institute of Public Administration Australia ACT CEO Caroline Walsh speaks with two inspirational female leaders, Tania Rishniw, Deputy Secretary at the Department of Health and Aged Care, and Nina Davidson, Deputy Director-General Intelligence at the Office of National Intelligence about how mentoring can benefit women during their careers, and what a great mentoring relationship should look like.

Tania, Nina, and Caroline also speak about some of the women that inspired them, including the influential Dr Margot McCarthy, who championed women through coaching and mentoring until her recent passing in 2022. Margot was the first female national security advisor, a leader in social policy and a founder of the APS Academy.

Discussed in this episode:

• Honesty, openness, and listening as key ingredients for good mentoring
• Margot McCarthy’s fierce leadership and support for other women
• Overcoming self-censorship as a woman
• Empowering and amplifying women’s voices

Show notes:

2022 State of the Service Report | Australian Public Service Commission

Women spend more time than men on unpaid work | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Strengthening leadership capability | Australian Public Service Commission

Gender dimensions of the security sector in Australia | Australian Women in Security Network

Dr Margot McCarthy Memorial Scholarship for Women in Security

Gender Scorecard 2022 | Workplace Gender Equality Agency

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