Damian Kassabgi is chief executive of the Tech Council.Credit:Danielle Smith
Emma Jones is chief executive and founder of Project F,a social impact business that has worked with the ABC,Google and Canva on their gender targets. Jones,who led the development of the standards after six years of research,said women make up 51 per cent of the population but just 28 per cent of the technology workforce.
“This is the right time,” Jones said. “We’ve been working with the Tech Council since about February,but the fact that WiseTech has had the woes that it’s had,and the other similar issues at other companies,these things are not in isolation. They’re just high-profile.”
Emma Jones is chief executive and founder of Project F,a social impact business that has worked with the ABC,Google and Canva.Credit:
“This stuff is rife – it’s been going on for a long time,and if we don’t approach these things head-on together,it’s just going to continue. Retention is a massive issue because it’s an inhospitable environment[for women].”
The tech councilreceived criticism for taking nearly a week to deal with serious allegations of misconduct by one of its board members,WiseTech chief executive Richard White,but the organisation has defended its processes.
White’s departure came the same day areport from women-led collective Grapevine was released,finding sexual harassment and discrimination remain rife in Australia’s technology sector. It found 72 per cent of victims of harassment,bullying or discrimination decided to leave their business altogether.