Girls and STEM PLC

STEM Women in Leadership

Employment opportunities for science, technology and engineering professionals continue to lead the Australian job market. Australian women hold 28% of STEM jobs and 18% of STEM leadership roles. The gender STEM gap may start in the classroom, but it culminates in the boardroom!

Organisations need to look beyond technical skills and tap into women’s leadership skills. More women need to be supported in pursing and appointed into leadership roles. There is a strong business case and many benefit to having more women in leadership. Overwhelmingly, evidence shows that greater diversity increases the variety of perspectives, improves financial performance and stimulates innovation among work teams. As a consequence, more women in leadership would lead to positive economic and socio-cultural change.

Guest Speakers

Lisa Gascoigne
Young Women Leadership Coordinator

Lisa is passionate about youth engagement, gender equality and working with young people to build community capacity. As the Young Women’s Leadership Coordinator for the YWCA Adelaide Lisa currently oversees leadership development for women, young women and girls through the Every Girl, SHE Leads High and Y Connect programs.

YWCA Adelaide is a not for profit young women’s leadership organisation which has been providing a voice for young women and girls in South Australia since 1880.  The organisation is well respected for its work in advocating for greater gender equality and efforts to build strong and equitable communities through the development of women’s leadership. YWCA Adelaide delivers programs, conferences and workshops in schools, workplaces and community settings including leadership development and respectful relationships education.

Dr Nicole Archard
Principal Loreto College Marryatville

Dr Nichole Archard has presented and published nationally and internationally on a variety of education-related topics, including leadership for women and girls and the place of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in education.

Dr Archard holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Diploma of Education, a Master of Arts, a Master of Educational Leadership, and a Doctor of Philosophy, all from Macquarie University. She also has a Master of Theological Studies from the Australian Catholic University.

As a leader and positive role model for women, Dr Archard has taught at and held senior positions (pastoral, academic and strategic leadership) at Sydney-based private colleges: Oakhill College, Our Lady of Mercy College and Kincoppal-Rose Bay School of the Sacred Heart and was Dean of Academic Studies at Wenona School, a leading independent girls’ school in Sydney.

Dr Archard was also a co-initiator of a network of women from all education sectors which provides the opportunity to discuss the challenges of leadership and encourages mentoring between women in education.