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“Equality starts in the lounge room before the boardroom.”
Tracey Spicer is a television presenter, journalist and author. Recently appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for her work in journalism and for her ambassadorships for social welfare and charitable organisations. She led the public voice of the #MeToo movement in Australia, breaking the Don Burke story. Tracey’s lifelong passion is amplifying women’s voices, and in today’s conversation we discuss creating equality in the home and in the workplace.
We discuss:
- ½ of women experience pregnancy discrimination in the workplace
- Your job is to be prepared by finding out the state and federal legislation and creating a strategy
- The gender pay gap
- Tracey didn’t ask for a pay rise for 14 years
- Now she says to always ask for more than you think you’re worth
- The gender pay gap in her own household
- Do your research and keep notes
- Know when the best time to ask for a pay rise is
- Keep a detailed diary of positive feedback, so provide proof of your performance
- Know what the share price is, and what other people received as bonuses
- Figure out a way to make sure everyone can benefit – it’s not a zero sum game
- How we can change expectations in childhood, which may lead to different outcomes in the gender pay gap
- Having difficult conversations with your partner
- “long term resentment is a huge risk to a relationship”
- The 30% tipping point for sexual harassment, where it peaks and then drops off
- Quotas, targets and the inexistence of any true meritocracy
- There’s no such thing as work-life balance
- Let’s change the conversation so MEN are being asked how they manage it all
- Legislative changes that could be put in place to better support families
An invitation from Tracey:
- Sit down and write out the amount of time it takes you to do your hair, makeup, buy your work wardrobe, and do all the things that come with society’s pressure on women to look a certain way
- Write down how much all of these things cost you financially
- Consider what else you can do with that money and time, and be deliberate about whether you want to keep spending it on meeting society’s unreasonable expectations of women’s looks
- Have a think about these cultural expectation
- If you want, then slowly start to pare it back. See if you don’t start to feel more authentic and truly yourself
Resources
We mention some resources throughout the conversation, here is where you can find links to them all!
Outspoken Women, for women who want to amplify their voices within the professional environment –
Tracey’s book, Good Girl Stripped Bare –
Tracey’s TED Talk on the topic –
Mental Load cartoon; Tracey suggests women need to have more difficult conversations with their husbands
Jamila Rizvi Not Just Lucky
Gender pay gap calculator
Amy Cuddy power poses
