Dr Heidi Sundin conducted a lecture and tutorial at the University of Technology, Sydney to students studying Ethics in Advertising from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

When students were asked “who thinks there is an equal representation of gender in the workplace” a total of 0 students raised their hands. It was an insightful event into how young adults perceived gender inequality and stereotypes, with ideas such as “staggering disparity” and “unequal representation” being thrown out in the discussion.

The most persistent and pervasive barrier to achieving gender equality in workplaces, and in society generally, is the attitude that people hold about it. In psychology-speak, people hold stereotypes about women and men and their expected behaviours and roles in life.

International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on how far we have come as a society and economy on the road to gender equality, and to further reflect on the road ahead. In light of this year’s campaign theme, ‘Press for Progress’, facilitated by Karen Illes, panellists Kristin Lopes, Paul O’Halloran, Nareen Young and Dr Heidi Sundin joined together in a collaborative discussion to answer the question of how we can continue to press for progress towards gender equality.