Close to $1 million in funding has been awarded to Macquarie University for a project that aims to address the under-representation of girls and women in STEM.

Macquarie’s Girls to Graduates (G2G) program was one of 17 projects nationwide to receive funding in the Australian Government’s Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (WISE) scheme announced in January.

Focusing on four principal objectives – engage, encourage, enable and empower – the project builds on the University’s award-winning initiatives in bringing together school, academic and industry partners to encourage participation of girls and women in STEM education and careers.

G2G is led by Pro Vice-Chancellor (Programs and Pathways) Professor Taryn Jones, 2019 Eureka Prize for STEM Inclusion winner Associate Professor Joanne Jamie, and Head of Educational Services Dr Stuart Upton – all from the Faculty of Science and Engineering – and Widening Participation’s Senior Outreach Support Officer Jacinta Carruthers.

“We are elated to have funding for a project focused on breaking down barriers to women working in STEM at multiple stages of their educational journey,” says Jones. “It recognises Macquarie’s integrated and sustainable approach as we work towards increasing the proportion of women and girls choosing – and remaining in – STEM careers.

“We are particularly thrilled to be working with two of our top female experts on this project, Jacinta and Joanne – what better way to showcase women in STEM than that?”

A champion for STEM inclusion: Associate Professor Joanne Jamie was part of the Eureka Prize-winning team for STEM Inclusion in 2019.

Among the funded project initiatives will be:

• an extension of the popular Junior Science Academy holiday program to provide sponsored STEM holiday program placements for girls from equity backgrounds
• programs providing a breadth of STEM learning and leadership opportunities for high school girls from low socioeconomic status and regional and remote partner schools
• a new equity pathway and scholarship scheme to support entry into undergraduate STEM programs for female high school students from equity backgrounds
• mentoring, internship and summer industry placements for G2G program participants during their study at Macquarie to support their successful transition to STEM careers.

“Through these coordinated activities, we are anticipating an increase not only in the participation of girls and women in STEM, but also in their confidence and success across the different stages of their academic lifespan,” says Jamie. “As a university, we have such an important role to play in building Australia’s STEM capability and through our Girls to Graduates program we are ready to make that difference.”

In a bold bid to tackle a global lack of women leaders in STEMM, Dr Rachael Dudaniec from the School of Natural Sciences and Rebecca Brown from the Australian Astronomical Optics (AAO) – Macquarie have committed to prioritising environmental sustainability in their work after being chosen as participants in the global Homeward Bound initiative.

Homeward Bound is a 12-month leadership initiative for women with a background in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine). It aims to equip a 10,000-strong collaboration of women with the skills to demonstrate a new model of leadership, to create better outcomes for our planet.

“I’ve been part of AAO for about seven years now and heard about the program from a member of the department who was selected to be part of the first Homeward Bound cohort. She couldn’t speak more highly of the experience, finding it profoundly empowering and inspiring. Since then, other women from the AAO have been lucky enough to take part including myself this year,” said Rebecca.

Pictured: Rebecca Brown with the TAIPAN Instrument at the UK Schmidt Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, near Coonabarabran, NSW.

It is widely acknowledged that women in STEMM fields are underrepresented in leadership globally. For example, in the United States, women currently make up nearly half (48 percent) of the workforce but hold less than 18 percent of leadership roles at top tech companies.

“The statistics clearly highlight that few women are in leadership positions in STEMM fields. Despite the fact that more women are completing PhDs than men in STEMM areas, a glaring gap still exists, stopping women from progressing further in their careers. Homeward Bound will help women to recognise the issues that are sustaining this gap and to be more proactive, effective and inclusive leaders in STEMM” says Rachael.

This 12-month program includes online learning to increase leadership capacity, strategic capability, visibility, and collaboration, and culminates in a global meeting of all 100 participants. In previous years this global meetup has been in Ushuaia, Argentina before embarking on a life-changing voyage to one of the most ecologically sensitive and inspiring areas on Earth, Antarctica. However, until global travel is again safe and equitable this element of the program is on hold.

Pictured: Rachael undertaking fieldwork in Thredbo, NSW.

With both Rachael and Rebecca in the middle of their careers, the pair is excited to tap into the global reach of the program to build their skills in effective people management with sustainability top of mind.

“Homeward Bound’s globally inclusive focus showcases the real-life impact of female leaders in STEMM. Through being a part of a global network, to personal mentoring and advice, I am really energised to be part of an initiative that aims to empower women to be leaders for a sustainable future,” says Rebecca.

Research repeatedly shows that while women demonstrate great integrity and a legacy mindset when it comes to leadership, decision-making and the creation of collaborative and effective teams, they are overwhelmingly under-represented in the traditionally male-dominated professions.

Founded in 2016, the program was a dream of Australian leadership expert Fabian Dattner, who believed the world needed a program to unlock the leadership potential of outstanding women in STEMM, to upskill and support them to lead, influence and contribute to decision-making about the future of our planet.

Homeward Bound welcomed over 100 participants into its seventh program in 2022, encompassing more than 20 nationalities and a hugely diverse representation of STEMM fields. Homeward Bound’s vision is to create a global collaborative network of 10,000 women leaders with STEMM backgrounds by 2036, working for a sustainable future for our planet.

“Excellent progress is already well underway, but this program will help accelerate this shift for more women towards leadership roles within the STEMM space,” says Rachael.

For more information on the program, visit www.homewardboundprojects.com.au