Dinner Talks
A dinner conversation can open your eyes or spark ideas. Well, at least they do for me. Let me tell you about the latest one.
Last night, whilst we enjoyed some nice sushi bought from Woolies by my dear husband, we were recounting the joys and gems of the day. My son didn't have much to share as he's still on holidays and hasn't moved much further in Zelda's game since the night before. But my husband was the king of the gems for the night.
He works as a consultant and visits many different factories, enterprises and businesses. It was his first time in this particular one, and he described it as quite different. What struck him, and saddened him at the same time, was that he found himself surprised to see so many women on the factory floor. The surprise itself, he realised, was the problem. This isn't something he typically sees in other workplaces. Then, during his tour, the guide mentioned "the supervisor", using the pronoun "she." My husband was impressed, but also troubled. This all shouldn't call his attention. It should be normal. But it isn't. Unfortunately.
The under-representation of women in business remains a shocking reality, especially considering we're only three months away from 2026. I love reading predictions about how this scenario will change in the future. And I hate seeing how slowly that change actually arrives.
Take the tech industry, for example. Various industry forecasts predicted that by 2025, women would comprise 40% of the tech workforce, driving innovation and contributing to cutting-edge technologies. Is this really happening? Yes, but at a glacial pace. The consequences of this slow progress harm not only women, but society as a whole.
Leadership roles remain predominantly occupied by men - and I won't even talk about the persistent salary disparities. But why are women kept away from these positions? A recent article from Fortune highlighted the positive outcomes when women take the lead in companies, particularly those working with AI. Yet the consequence of their absence extends far beyond lost opportunities for women themselves. Companies miss the chance to benefit from unique perspectives that can lead to unexpected breakthroughs and innovation. I will explore this article from Fortune in a future post.
Back to my conversation with the family, I have two boys, and I feel I have a duty to open their eyes to something we've normalised: women are still being left behind. We're still fighting for our space in a society that has historically viewed us as inferior. If you're a mum of boys, I'd say your duty is the same as mine. We have to build a different future from the one we see now. How about Australia climbing up the ladder to reach the top 10 most gender-equal countries in the world instead of sitting at 24th?
Women on a factory floor should be unremarkable. Women in leadership shouldn't make headlines. We may not be identical to men, but we absolutely deserve equal space and opportunity.
So here's what I'm asking: talk to your sons, your daughters, your colleagues. Notice when gender imbalance is treated as normal. Support businesses and policies that actively promote equality. Share stories like these - not to complain, but to create awareness and momentum for change.
This is just the beginning of many conversations and ideas I want to put out there. Leave your comment and let's start gathering forces to claim our rightful space in this world.
