1994 School Magazine

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6irls' 6raiiiiiiar School3Btisbaiic 1994

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given issue that arose, \\, belher it was the girls wearing 11Tini skirts and black bras tinder their blouses, or a mother froiii the USA causing some ITUllabaloo at the tuckshop advocaiino that her 15 year old should go on the Pill, or Grammar Girls stormino the old Lennons Buildino in tiniforiiT willT 3000 other teenagers 10 welcome the Beatles. in those days a note was reqLiired just 10 set foot in town let alone appear on TV in tiniforiTT as part of the Beatles' gi'oupies. Sex educatioiT was also looming as an issue ancl we all received some veiy confusing messages Bloomers 11ncl to be worn on the sports field so that panis COLIldn'I be seeiT and competing in hurdles was out of tile question <1tie to the risl< of damaging our female anatomy in 11indsiglit we 11ad a wonderftil ITTix of teachers 10 see us 11/10ugli oui' trials and nibulations - the old and the wise, the yill rig ;!ncl ambitious and the passionate specialists. Teaching " non-conventional Grammar girlsuclT as nTyself - that is a non- ticadciilic, sports Inad, Linderachieving late developer - niusi havc <11'1vcn the ITi to the edge. 11 was only later on w^Ten I ran 11/10 a COLIplc of thenT that I appreciated ITow strong our bond was an <1 ITow ITiuch they'd inntienced my values and attributes I tool< InclTi for' granted Lintil then and never really thanked them noi' saltl my goodbyes Spentling two years teaching at a I}Igl} school ciystallised 11Ty understanding of w^Ty Grammar was so special. TITat clifference wasn't 50/11eihing I could see or loticli. 11 was intanoible - the sense of pride and \, alues instilled in us fronT the first time we wore our uniform. For me it I'evolvecl all'ound the importance of Education jincl Careers for Women, The jinportance of female fi'lends, liealthy competition whether it be in sport, <1ebaiing, languages. leaniwork, collTmunity ^esponsibility and above all NIL SINE LABORE; tilese are the \, alues that ITave atlidec1 111e IhrouolT Ihicl< and thin and that I still 1101d clean' today in ;Idtliiion, there was one other inntience for w^TiclT I have I)eelt jujuvcr glarefLil and that was the expel'Ience of eqLialiiy Will111 lintl most fascinating is that for' us at Grammar 11Tis wasn't UVuii ;111 issue. Independent thinking females wl}o had equal skindiiig ;Incl value were the nomT, Lintil we enterecl the outside wt)rlcl!! Allucli ITUs been written an <1 <1iscussecl about woiTTen in I)LISincss 1/1/<1 the professions and Ilaving spent 20 yeais in I, us illcss I gLiess that's the I'eason I've been invited 10 speak toriiglii. incidentally I <1icl ITave a breal< cluring 11Ty twenties wlicnI liarcllcclfor 18 ITtonths overseas and would encourage all of yoti 10 <10 this before yoti tie yourself clown! 'Tile I)"(15 liere tonight will ITave to excuse Ine if some of lily coiniiicnts seeni a little biased but I do want to tell it the way Althougli we live in a woi'Id where we are no longei surprised to fincl a female governor, a female premier ITor a female judge, priest or pilot, there are still remarkably few women in top jobs considering the large increase in the ITUmber of well educated women. Can yoti belie\, e that there are fewer women in top jobs now than there were in 1984? Yes the glass ceiling is alive and well However if women are To breal< Ihi ouglT these barriers we neecl to Teassess the way we've gone about achieving eq\Ianty 11 is

Many womenihiouglT 111eir attitudes and actions ITave put men offside The bra-less ITairy armpii, ITairy, leg image of the perceived feminist ITas 11indered rather than ITelped the drive for' eqLialiry Today there is a tendency in some quailers to put all the blame for the glass ceiling on the 11Tale dominated values and attitudes foLind in big business and the professions. I believe it is one of the two 11Tain reasons ancl is a Il\Ige challenge for' any woman aspiring to the lop. How CIO yo\I change the niind set of 75% of the people around yoti and still Inaintain a relationship with them?I was always veiy grateful that ITTy previous slate ITTanager was the father of two Grammar girls. There were times when he was being influenced from born ends re female needs and issues and 1111 sure ITe felt Girls' Grammar ITad a lot 10 answer foi!! It1511hinl< aboutit. Sitting I}ere tonight are probably over 100 male executives WITO ITappen 10 be your fathers - yoti can individually and collectively influenceiheir thinkino and under- standing about women's needs in the workplace. A wonderful spin off IronT this for. yoti and your dad will be the growtlT of an even ITTore 11}eaningful relationship. There's a marvellous book out called "Brainsex" written by Ann Moir and David lessell explaining the significant PIlysiological and behavioural differ ences. I encourage yoti all 10 read it - it gives great perspective ancl promotes the idea of combining the talents rather than one living 10 be like the orhei The o111ei' ITTain TeasoiT that nTore women ITaven'I reached the 1013 is the challenge involved in giving nTaximtinT commit- merit, time and energy without sacrificing their other priorities ancl interests. Can women be Ilearls of corporations and maintain families? Shoulcl clTild-heal'11Tg be postponed Lintil professional credibility ITas been allaincd? If so, ITow do women juggle boili spheres of their lives? TITese are complex qtiestions and nTosi women conclude the I'e is ITTore to life than climbing Ihe corporate laddei For too long we've believe <1 that the only wt^, to compete in the workforce willl men was 10 work like ITTen, behave like men ancl think like 11Ten, when in fact, what we ittList CIO is act more like women, worl< harder than 11Ten and thinl< sinai'Ier than men. Histoiy will show that if women's alliiudes an <1 values ITad been better represented at decision ITiakino levels ITiany of the bad balance sheets would it ave looked a damn side better. After all, w^lo ITas the Inajor influence on w^Tete most of the disposable CIOllars in AListralia are spent? AlthouglT women Inay not be properly represented at iilTPOriant levels of large corporations there is an exciting trend that shows they are doing remarkably well in the fit'ITTs that they have set Lip tilemselves. Here they don't have to play 11Te ITTale game according to ntale rLilGS As yoti can see there are exciting times ahead for^, oLi - choices, options and <1ecisions about yoti ancl WITO I, 0\I want 10 be. Be assured that Grammar' ITas eq\lipped yoLi wonderftilly well for' the known and the Linknown There is, however, a real period of adjustment away from a safe and protected and ITighly 1110/1vaiing environment into a dynamic ever changing world that can be lonely and at times feel like quicksand. Out there is a real world and jump into it

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