The Importance of Gender Inclusion: A Journey from Doubt to Realisation

I used to think gender inclusion was just another buzzword in the workplace. My philosophy was simple: if you can do the job, your gender shouldn’t matter. But my view started to shift in 2021 when we began a new project that forced me to see things from a different angle.

At first, we noticed something strange—not many women were applying for the jobs we were advertising. It wasn’t just a one-time thing; it was happening across the board. This got us thinking: if women aren’t applying, maybe we need to start earlier, like at the university level. So, we reached out to universities, hoping to connect with fresh graduates eager to kick-start their careers. But even there, we ran into a wall—there just weren’t that many female graduates in tech fields. It felt like we were digging up a problem that went much deeper than we’d thought.

In Australia, the numbers were pretty clear. Back in 2016, women made up about 25% of IT graduates, but by 2020, that number had dropped to around 20%. And this wasn’t just happening here—it was a global trend. The percentage of women getting computer science degrees had dropped by 18% over the years. Plus, only about 32.8% of entry-level positions in computer science-related jobs were held by women. That’s a huge gap, and it made me realise that this wasn’t just a random issue—it was a persistent problem.

This made me think about how we often assume, without even realising it, that certain roles are better suited for men, especially in fields like tech. These biases don’t just float around in our heads; they’re built into the systems around us, quietly pushing women away from these careers before they even start.

This really hit home when my daughter told me she wanted to play cricket. She was just 12, and cricket has always been a sport dominated by men. I have to admit, when she first mentioned it, I subtly tried to discourage her, thinking it might be too tough for her. But she stood her ground and told me she wanted to play because she loved the sport. Watching her go after something she loved made me realise how important it was for her to have role models like Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning, and Lisa Sthalekar. Thanks to them, she didn’t have to just dream about being in those shoes—she could actually see herself in them and chase that dream with everything she had.

Then, my daughter did something that really made me pause. She got me the book Clearing Boundaries: The Rise of Australian Women's Cricket. She wanted to educate me, and I’ll admit, I needed it. This isn’t just a book to toss on a coffee table—it’s a powerful chronicle of the history and evolution of women’s cricket in Australia, filled with stories of female cricketers who have broken barriers and reshaped what’s possible in the sport.

The book covers the journey from the early days when women’s cricket was hardly recognised, through the struggles for recognition and equal opportunities, to the present, where Australian women's cricket is a dominant force on the global stage. It highlights the persistence, talent, and resilience of these athletes and how they’ve cleared boundaries not just in sports but in society as a whole. Reading it made me realise how much I didn’t know about the challenges women face, even in something as seemingly straightforward as sports. It’s the kind of book that inspires young girls like my daughter, showing them that cricket—and so many other fields—aren’t just for men.

But it’s not just about what happens in the workplace. Schools and the environment at home play a huge role too. The way we raise our kids and the examples they see at home and at school shape what they believe is possible. If they see these gender roles being challenged early on, they’re more likely to carry that belief into their adult lives.

And then came another moment that made me rethink everything. My daughter asked me to take her to see Barbie in the cinema. I wasn’t exactly excited about it, but I went along. And to my surprise, the movie got me thinking in ways I hadn’t expected. There’s this scene where Gloria, played by America Ferrera, delivers a powerful monologue about what it’s like to be a woman today. She talks about how important it is for young girls to see women in powerful positions—not just to tick a box, but because it shows them that they can be anything they want to be.

That scene really stuck with me. It made me realise that gender inclusion isn’t just about fairness; it’s about creating an environment where women are encouraged and supported to go after what they want, in any field they choose. It’s about breaking down barriers that have been there for far too long.

So, where does that leave us—not just as leaders but as parents, uncles, brothers, and members of society? We’ve got to do more than just talk the talk. We need to actively challenge the idea that some jobs are “men’s work” and create spaces where gender isn’t a barrier to success. And while we do that, let’s also work towards a future where we no longer need corporate policies to drive gender inclusion—because it will simply be the norm. This work doesn’t start and end in the office—it’s something that needs to happen in our schools, our communities, and our homes. Because when we get it right there, we’re not just changing the workplace—we’re changing lives, including those of the next generation.