Published on the 6th December 2018 by ANSTO Staff
The progressive award measures organisations, who are members of Science in Australia Gender Equity. (SAGE), on criteria including leadership, honesty, communication and engagement and self-assessment.
ANSTO was one of 20 Australian higher education and research institutions that were recognised at Parliament House, Canberra, at the Inaugural SAGE Awards Gala Dinner last night.
The award address gender equity and diversity in the workplace, not just because it’s the right thing to do but because it’s the smart thing to do, producing better outcomes for business and innovation.
Awarded to organisations who have made concerted efforts to consciously improve gender equality, ANSTO was recognised for our work in reducing the pay gap between men and women.
Showing an ability to honestly and openly reflect on areas of improvement was a key component in the accolade, with ANSTO continuing to acknowledge areas for improvement.
The leadership and commitment of ANSTO’s CEO, Dr Adi Paterson, was assessed positively by the SAGE peer review panel.
“I am proud of ANSTO for achieving this award, as an organisation, we are dedicated to improving the working environment for our staff, to allow them to reach their full potential,” Dr Paterson said.
“We encourage men and women, equally, to pursue passionate careers in science here at ANSTO and having an accreditation like the Athena Bronze Institution Award confirms just that.
“Of course, we have areas to improve upon, and we have a robust action plan that we are implementing with the aim to improve not just gender equity but our overall organisational diversity and inclusion.”
ANSTO’s efforts to communicate, consult and engage staff were also acknowledged thanks to its proactive use of surveys and focus groups to educate and inform people of its activities.
SAGE was set up with the aim of bringing the entire scientific research sector together to monitor and improve gender equality within Australian scientific and research organisations.
An Athena SWAN Bronze Institution Award recognises an institution’s commitment to advancing careers of women, trans and gender diverse individuals in STEMM disciplines in Higher Education and Research.
Achieving a Bronze Institution Award requires an institution to demonstrate a solid foundation for improving gender equity in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine).