Out for Australia are hosting an event next month, focused on LGBTIQ+ women and femmes in the workplace.

Teaming up with Pride in Diversity’s Sapphire program for LBTIQ women and Clayton Utz, the event invites queer women and non-binary folks to come along and join a discussion about the power of mentoring.

The event will feature a panel discussion with LGBTIQ+ women who have been mentors and mentees, and how that has impacted their lives – as well as opportunities to network and link up with mentors as part of Out for Australia’s mentoring program.

Speaking for Pride in Diversity, Sapphire program ambassador Christine Forster highlighted the lack of queer female role models in the workplace.

“In Australia we can now proudly add our national sweetheart Magda to the list, but the reality is, in our patriarchal world, the gay men have made it to public acceptance and prominence way ahead of us girls,” Forster said, “and it’s been the same in business.”

“Compare the relative profiles of Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott. Sadly, it was no surprise in late 2016 when The Australian Financial Review’s BOSS magazine and accountancy firm Deloitte put together a list of top 50 LGBTI business leaders, and only 14 of them were women.”

The 2018 Australian Workplace Equality Index showed that 40% of lesbian women within organisations who promote LGBTI+ inclusion still feel the need to hide their sexuality, 28% didn’t want to be labelled or the target of jokes, and 21.43% are were unsure of how they would be received. Of all sexualities surveyed, lesbian women most strongly drew parallels between out role models and feeling included in the workplace at 90%.

Out for Australia’s event will be held at the Clayton Utz offices on Wednesday 8th May from 5:30pm. You can register for this free event and find more information on Facebook.

OIP Staff