To make sure you don’t miss future episodes of Women at Work, subscribe on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!
If you look at Apolitical’s 100 Most Influential People Working in Gender Policy for 2018 and 2019 you find Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Michelle Obama, the United Nations High Cmomissioner for Human Rights and first female president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet… and today’s guest Libby Lyons.
Libby started her career as a teacher, working her way all the way to Director of the workplace gender equality agency, to now Chair of SAGE – Science in Australia gender equity, and is a hugely influential Australian woman.
She was featured in the book 200 Women, was awarded Woman of the Decade for Gender Policy by Women Economic Forum in 2019 and has presented multiple times at the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women.
She’s positive, high energy, has done it all raising a son in a time when there was no paid parental leave, and a woman after my own heart, has been quoted, “you’ve just got to have a party because you never know when it’s your last one.”
Living in the moment, whilst driving lasting change, I’m honoured to have the opportunity to speak with Libby, and hope you enjoy the episode.
In this episode we discuss:
- Women’s move away from the major political parties due to poor representation and lack of long-term plans to support women.
- The gender superannuation gap, and caring responsibilities as a key driver.
- Flexibility creating positive change during COVID, and the current wind back of flex in many organisations.
- The gender pay gap isn’t falling quickly enough.
- How to respond to gender fatigue and find quick wins, as change has been slower than initially hoped.
- The importance of embedding gender equity into business-as-usual so it’s not just considered an additional cost.
- Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) where Libby is Chair, and the work they’re doing increasing gender equality in STEM and medicine.
- The Athena Swan structure for increasing gender equity.
- How she’s taken risks in her career to help her learn, grown, and take on new challenges – and how other doors always open when you take a risk.
- Shaping your career by presenting as someone capable and open for a challenge, and building a meaningful network of people you respect.
- Being prepared to give, not just take, and her invitation to all women to take true action in support of other women, beyond lip service.
- Her own experiences as a working woman, and the repercussions she’s faced calling out poor behaviour.
- The value of the caring economy, and how it fits within GDP.
- Her practical advice to young women and men everywhere to focus on building up their super.
About Libby Lyons
Libby Lyons is one of Australia’s most powerful advocates, with decades of leadership experience in corporate affairs and issues-based advocacy in the public and private sectors in Australia and abroad.
Libby’s experience includes heading up BHP’s Olympic Dam corporate affairs division, as well as senior executive roles at Atlas Iron, CITIC Pacific Mining, Alcoa of Australia, the Western Power Corporation and Telstra.
In April 2021, Libby completed her appointment as the Director of the Commonwealth Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA), a role she held for five and a half years. As agency head, Libby led a transformational program through which WGEA is now recognised as a
national powerhouse in promoting evidence-based change in Australian workplaces. Over this period, WGEA has also become internationally recognised, with Libby invited to speak to governments, private enterprise, industry bodies and unions in Singapore, Chile, Argentina, Mauritius, Indonesia, Vietnam, The Philippines, South Korea, the United States and Japan.
Libby was listed in Apolitical’s 100 Most Influential People Working in Gender Policy for both 2018 and 2019. She was featured in the book 200 Women and was awarded Woman of the Decade for Gender Policy by the Women Economic Forum in 2019.
Libby is a seasoned public speaker having presented at conferences and gatherings all over the world, she presented at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York in 2018 and 2019.
Libby started her career as a primary school teacher in the outer northern suburbs of Melbourne. She has served on the boards of non-profit organisations SIDS and Kids WA and was Executive Chair of Kiind (formerly Kalparrin), a Western Australian charity that supports the families of children with special needs.
Libby is Chair of SAGE (Science in Australia Gender Equity), is Strategic Counsel for ReGen Strategic and most recently was WA Chapter Chair and Board member of Chief Executive Women and was a member of the National Aged Care Advisory Council.
Libby is an Adjunct Professor at Australia Catholic University and in February 2022, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Curtin University in recognition of her distinguished service to the social sciences through outstanding and influential advocacy for gender equality in the workplace in Australia and internationally.