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Businesswomen question 2020 panel mix
Updated 3 hours 8 minutes ago
Cate Blanchett is the only woman named as part of the 10-member panel that will choose people to attend the 2020 summit. (AFP: Timothy A Clary)
Actress Cate Blanchett is the only woman named as part of the Government-appointed 10-member panel that will choose people to attend the summit in April.
The chairwoman of Harris Farm Markets, Katherine Harris, says it is a lopsided board that will only be able to represent half of the population.
"It's not just that we're not getting different points of view but it's also that we're not getting role models," she said.
"All the young women coming out of school and at universities - they look up at this group of the supposedly 1,000 great thinkers in Australia and nine out of 10 of them are all men."
Ms Harris says she expected more from Mr Rudd.
"He's got his successful wife. He understands that most women are not actually at home looking after the grandchildren or the children, they've unfortunately got lots of other jobs as well. And this just ... is just such a shock."
Executive director of lobby group Women on Boards, Claire Braund, fears an under-representation of women on the summit leadership group will also lead to too many men and not enough women among the 1,000 summit delegates.
"This sends a message to young people, to future leaders that women are not equal, not good enough, not on our government's radar and not going to be considered," she said.
"I have to ask the question when I saw this list, why is it that the top 11 people, the first in the class, don't include at least one woman of substance in the areas of science, economics, health, rural affairs, governance, sustainability? Is there not one other woman with the qualifications and experience who can join Cate Blanchett and assume a leadership role in this important summit?
"How are we going to bring women, 51 per cent of the population, into this critical discussion that we're having about Australia's future?
The other 10 members are all men and from Anglo-Saxon backgrounds, apart from Aboriginal surgeon, Kelvin Kong.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/26/2172724.htm
Updated 3 hours 8 minutes ago
Cate Blanchett is the only woman named as part of the 10-member panel that will choose people to attend the 2020 summit. (AFP: Timothy A Clary)
Actress Cate Blanchett is the only woman named as part of the Government-appointed 10-member panel that will choose people to attend the summit in April.
The chairwoman of Harris Farm Markets, Katherine Harris, says it is a lopsided board that will only be able to represent half of the population.
"It's not just that we're not getting different points of view but it's also that we're not getting role models," she said.
"All the young women coming out of school and at universities - they look up at this group of the supposedly 1,000 great thinkers in Australia and nine out of 10 of them are all men."
Ms Harris says she expected more from Mr Rudd.
"He's got his successful wife. He understands that most women are not actually at home looking after the grandchildren or the children, they've unfortunately got lots of other jobs as well. And this just ... is just such a shock."
Executive director of lobby group Women on Boards, Claire Braund, fears an under-representation of women on the summit leadership group will also lead to too many men and not enough women among the 1,000 summit delegates.
"This sends a message to young people, to future leaders that women are not equal, not good enough, not on our government's radar and not going to be considered," she said.
"I have to ask the question when I saw this list, why is it that the top 11 people, the first in the class, don't include at least one woman of substance in the areas of science, economics, health, rural affairs, governance, sustainability? Is there not one other woman with the qualifications and experience who can join Cate Blanchett and assume a leadership role in this important summit?
"How are we going to bring women, 51 per cent of the population, into this critical discussion that we're having about Australia's future?
The other 10 members are all men and from Anglo-Saxon backgrounds, apart from Aboriginal surgeon, Kelvin Kong.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/26/2172724.htm