Leaders Brunches
These annual events bring together representatives from our Partner Organisations to learn and collaborate on forward-thinking initiatives that will drive diversity and inclusion in their individual organisations and the sector. They are part of our shared committment to creating a health and medical research ecosystem where women can thrive.
You can check out some of our past Leaders Brunch topics and learn more below:
- Women’s Health and Workplace Participation
- Building Mentally Healthy Workplaces
- Flexible Working – From Necessity to Best Practice
Attendance at our Leaders Brunches is a ‘Partner Perk’ that Franklin Women provides to its Partner Organisations – find out more about these here.
2022: Women’s Health and Workplace Participation
Thank you to our 5 speakers for sharing their insights and experiences:
- Dr Sarah Duffy, Senior Lecturer, Western Sydney University and Co-Author of the White Paper, What’s the Bloody Big Deal? How Australian Workplaces and Educational Istitutions Can Help Break the Menstrual Taboo
- Nicole Karagiannis, Chief People & Culture Officer, harrison.ai on their inclusive Becoming a Parent leave policy
- Thea O’Connor, Founder, Menopause @ Work Asia Pacific
- Sam Payne, CEO, The Pink Elephants Support Network for miscarriage and early pregnancy loss
- Julie Stafford, Wellbeing Lead (Staff), University of Canterbury on their Ruahinetanga: Menopause at Work Programme
2021: Building Mentally Healthy Workplaces
In 2021, our theme was Building Mentally Healthy Workplaces. We discussed the unique psychosocial risks presented by academic and research settings (which, while affecting the entire workforce, often disproportionately impact women and other historically marginalised groups) and learned about how workplaces can protect, promote, and respond to the mental health of their employees.
One prominent psychosocial risk in our sector is job insecurity. Franklin Women has submitted a response to the Senate Select Committee on Job Security, highlighting the extent and consequences of unsure work in the health and medical research sector, and proposing solutions. You can read our response (number 58) here.
Thank you to our 3 speakers for sharing insights and evidence:
- Lucy Brogden AM, Chair of the Australian Government National Mental Health Commission and Chair of the Mentally Healthy Workplace Alliance
- Professor Angela Martin, Founder and Director of Pracademia and Professorial Research Fellow in Work and Mental Health at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research
- Mike Powell, Chief Health and Safety Officer at the University of Sydney
And thank you to all attendees for authentically sharing what is going well in their workplaces, and where they can do better, in the spirit of collectively driving cultural change within our sector.
2020: Flexible Working – From Necessity to Best Practice
Thank you to our 3 speakers for sharing their insights, evidence, and experiences:
- Ariane Virtue, Partner & Co-Founder, Flex We Are
- Kerry Elliott, Executive Manager Diversity and Inclusion, CSIRO
- Chris Stemple, Vice President & General Manager, AbbVie ANZ