Gender Equity and COVID-19

The SAGE (Science in Australia Gender Equity) Group at Western Sydney University welcomes you to Research Week at Western. For further events during this week, please visit the website at www.westernsydney.edu.au/researchweek

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically reshaped our society. In the rush to manage this global crisis, it has become increasingly apparent that there will be a gendered impact extending far beyond the initial crisis period. Both the United Nations and the Australian Human Rights Commission have warned that the various social and economic impacts of COVID-19 stand to undo decades of progress towards gender equality. The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, has urged governments and institutions to put gender issues at the centre of COVID-19 responses.

This event will consider how Australian higher education leaders might work through emerging institutional complexities to mitigate the gendered impacts of COVID-19 within our organisations and across our communities. The event includes:

• “New Research in New Contexts” presentations by 2019 Vice-Chancellor’s Gender Equality Fund researchers, who will discuss how their findings might need to be recast in light of our new 2020 context

• “Equity in/and Crisis Response”, a panel discussion with senior equity representatives to address strategic efforts to keep equity front and centre during times of crisis, and

• “Gender Equity and COVID-19: Priorities for Recovery”, a keynote interview with Professor Kerry Robinson, Director of the newly established Diversity and Human Rights Research Centre.

The event will be Chaired by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation, Professor Deborah Sweeney.

A full program, including a full list of speakers, can be seen below.

Organisers: Professor Janice Aldrich-Wright, Associate Dean Research, School of Science and Dr Kieryn McKay, SAGE Project Officer

Please note: The Zoom link will be sent to you the day prior to the event.