Among Female Workers Should Be an Industry Priority

Gaby is not alone in the experiences which put her at risk of serious psychological harm, not to mention potentially leaving her in a professional wasteland. She is not the first, and won’t be the last, unfortunately, but she is to be applauded for having the strength to take them and use them as a tool for progress.

With resolute determination, Gaby completed her apprenticeship and now also works tirelessly as an advocate for women in the trades as the founder of Aussie Girls on the Tools. She knows only too well that this sort of cultural change is slow and difficult and takes the commitment of everyone involved in the workplace. It’s well past time that increased female participation in industry is understood as the solution to many a problem, such as skills shortages, rather than a novel inconvenience or the ticking of a gender equality box on a tender. From the day-to-day language we employ to the imagery used in marketing, it is all important and plays a role in moving forward.

Gaby will soon evaluate the surveys, interviews and other data gathered, to take forward nationally to obtain a grant to implement a range of related actions. It is anticipated that this body of research is going to be a significant contribution to breaking the bias surrounding women in male dominated roles and will be a huge step towards some ambitious, but surely achievable goals. Specifically improving the experience of women choosing opportunities that should be freely available to them, educating and changing the attitudes that shape the problem behaviours towards them, and achieving 25% participation of women in these industries by 2025!

Caroline Miall

Mentor, BUSY Sisters

NAWIC’s International Women’s Day Scholarship 2022 Winner, Gabrielle French

AMY’S BRIGHT IDEA

2021 Bright Idea Scholarship Winner Amy Chapple Shares With Us Her Journey So Far

Amy Chapple is the 2021 Bright Ideas Grant Scholarship recipient for Hats Off 4 Change (HO4C) “Hard hats with a difference”

The first company of its kind in Australia; HO4C is the onestop-shop for hard hats, working responsibly to design, manufacture, supply and recycle hard hats.

HO4C was inspired by four areas of passion for Amy:

⋅Painting, art and design ⋅ Protecting our environment ⋅ A desire to understand and celebrate our First Nations’ people’s culture and history ⋅ Visiting and working in the Pilbara region of WA As the saying goes “a picture can tell a thousand words”. For centuries First Nations have used art and painting as their tool to connect and convey culture. HO4C was inspired by our 500 different Aboriginal peoples in Australia, each with their own language, stories and customs. Amy believes respectful communication and listening create the framework for successful collaboration and art is the universal language to connect people. HO4C was a way to connect my passions with purpose, break barriers and start conversations, tell stories, and protect people and respect others. Amy wants people and businesses to have the freedom to express their values, communicate purpose and be heard. With HO4C, we can be safer, respectful and make a difference.