Attracting women and girls to STEM and providing an environment for them to thrive and progress is a shared responsibility of government, academia and research, the education system, industry, and the community.

The Australian Academy of Science, in collaboration with the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, developed the Women in STEM Decadal Plan. Launched in April 2019, the decadal plan offers a vision and opportunities to 2030 to guide stakeholders as they identify and implement specific actions they must take to build the strongest STEM workforce possible to support Australia’s prosperity.

The opportunity to achieve a transformative, systematic and sustained change in Australia’s STEM sector begins with the plan. Progress has been made since the plan’s launch, with many organisations signing up as Women in STEM Decadal Plan Champions and a multitude of activities occurring across each decadal plan opportunity. Progress and impact are particularly evident in the higher education and research sector through the SAGE initiative, singled out in the decadal plan as the ‘only transformative gender equity program of its kind in Australia designed to achieve sustained cultural change’.

Catalysing Gender Equity 2020 is a platform to further accelerate change.

Each day will offer delegates opportunities to contribute to advancing a selection of strategic recommendations from the decadal plan.