Leaders Workshop 2018: Building stronger futures for diverse women in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

Transcription

1 Leaders Workshop 2018: Building stronger futures for diverse women in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Report on Collective Impact Action Lab held on 1 st December 2018: Key outcomes and next steps 1

2 Contents Content Page no. 1. Summary 3 2. Background What does economic wellbeing mean? Identifying issues Solutions Next steps 30 Appendix A: Agenda 31 Appendix B: Action Lab slide deck (separate attachment) 2

3 1. Summary On December 1 st 2018, a group of committed and passionate people got together to identify opportunities for building stronger futures for diverse women in the ACT region. This Action Lab was the first of a three-part series of workshops on the topic with the overarching aim of developing a collective impact action plan to improve economic wellbeing for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) women in the ACT. The Social Outcomes Lab (SOULAB) was commissioned by IWiN to facilitate the workshops and are delighted at the opportunity to be a part of this initiative. IWiN received a grant from the ACT Government to undertake this important work. The purpose of the action lab was as follows: To identify issues and actions to promote economic empowerment of CALD women in the ACT. To identify commitment of the people in the room and beyond with regards to implementing the actions identified today. Participation was open to the public and women from a wide range of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in the ACT were represented. As the day unfolded, the following became evident: There is strong will and commitment to make an impact and to work together in doing so Several key themes emerged regarding barriers to building stronger futures for diverse women in the ACT region Workshop participant were highly engaged in the issue and want to be part of the solution The action lab highlighted a number of key issues as priority areas for focus. These included: "Isms": sexism, racism, ageism, classism Cultural barriers (language, assumptions and respect) Access to information Lack of self-worth Recognition of skills, education and qualifications The Action Lab also identified ideas to help address these issues. These ideas will be explored in greater detail at the next workshop in February. 3

4 The Collective Impact workshop series Workshop Objective 1 Workshop 1: Identifying issues [December 2018] The purpose of this first workshop is to identify the key issues that are associated with the economic advancement of CALD women in the ACT. The issues identified in this workshop will be form the basis of the action plan. Actions will be identified to address these issues. 2 Workshop 2: Developing an action plan [February 2019] This workshop is focused on developing actions to address the issues that were identified in Workshop 1. This workshop will also entail developing implementation plans associated with the actions identified. Members of the collective impact can then decide to work together on actions that were identified. 3 Workshop 3: Checking in and next steps [May 2019] The final workshop in this series is about re-grouping and taking stock of progress made on the different actions identified in the previous workshop and discussing opportunities going forward. 4 Final report June 2019 SOULAB will develop a final report outlining the collective impact action plan and the insights identified along the way. This report will be delivered to IWiN who will submit it to the ACT Government. 4

5 1. Summary What is collective impact? Collective Impact (CI) is the commitment of a group of actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem, using a structured form of collaboration. In the context of this workshop the principles of collective impact were applied to the topic of building stronger futures for diverse women in the ACT region. 5

6 1. Summary The following chart illustrates the themes that issues identified fell into and the number of people that had identified the issue as a priority issue. Key themes of issues identified Recognition of skills, education and qualifications, 12 "Isms": sexism, racism, ageism, classism, 20 Other, 21 Access to information, 13 Lack of selfworth, 7 Cultural barriers (language, assumptions and respect), 28 6

7 1. Summary Once the key issues had been decided upon participants were asked to discuss potential solutions to these issues. The table below presents the key issues together with proposed solutions. These themes were discussed by participants to generate ideas for solutions that will be further developed in the next workshop. Overview of solutions identified for key issues Key issue "Isms": sexism, racism, ageism, classism Access to information Cultural barriers (language, assumptions and respect) Lack of self-worth Recognition of skills, education and qualifications Proposed solution Implement zero-tolerance policies in the workplace and other institutions Public education and awareness campaigns that celebrate success Focus on the positive aspects of people s attributes Cultural awareness and training programs for employers and the wider community Buddy/ mentoring/ coaching/ networking program Community organisations/ associations run formal welcoming programs Housing support (e.g. referees) Community hub (physical information centre, not just paper-based) Introduction/ orientation program for recently arrived migrants (from arrival) Buddy/ mentoring/ coaching/ networking program International students need to have a channel/ connection with universities A directory support/ services available would be helpful for new arrivals Support for interaction with agencies (e.g. Health) Intercultural/ diversity workshops Reinvigorate the Australian Migrant Community Centre Peer workers at support services Cultural awareness and training programs for employers and the wider community Community hub (physical information centre, not just paper-based) Introduction/ orientation program for recently arrived migrants (from arrival) Buddy/ mentoring/ coaching/ networking program Educating men Social integration/ education Belonging/ acceptance outside of "role" Support women to gain access to child care Buddy/ mentoring/ coaching/ networking program Overseas Assessment Unit need to be more proactive Review of job skills that are recognised, especially female-dominated professions Training funded by ACT/ Federal government Support women to gain access to child care Introduction/ orientation program for recently arrived migrants (from arrival) Buddy/ mentoring/ coaching/ networking program 7

8 IWiN Chair Madhumita Iyengar welcoming participants. 8

9 Workshop facilitators with some of the participants 9

10 2. Background SOULAB was commissioned by IWiN to facilitate a Collective Impact workshop focused on improving economic wellbeing for CALD women in the ACT. The workshop was titled Leaders Workshop: Building stronger futures for diverse women in the ACT region and was held on December 1 st This action lab was the first of a three-part series of workshops on the topic. The purpose of the action lab was as follows: To identify issues and actions to promote economic empowerment of CALD women in the ACT. To identify commitment of the people in the room and beyond with regards to implementing the actions identified today. Participation was open to the public and women from a wide range of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in the ACT were represented. The Lab had three key components (the full Agenda is included in Appendix A): 1. Setting the Scene 2. Discussing the meaning of economic wellbeing 3. Identifying issues and actions 4. Identifying our commitment 10

11 Action lab attendees listening to welcome from Madhumita Iyengar 11

12 Access & opportunities Empowerment Freedom & independence Friendship & support Happiness & contentment Other Safety & security 3. Defining economic wellbeing In the first activity, participants were asked to identify three words each that capture what economic wellbeing means to them. The purpose of this activity was for participants to express their thoughts on what economic wellbeing meant to them and also to stimulate the thinking for the subsequent activity. Participants wrote these words on post-it notes and stuck them on the white board. These post-it notes were then grouped based on themes. Chart 1: Economic wellbeing key themes

13 Table 1: Economic wellbeing comprehensive list Sticky notes Theme No. Opportunities Access & opportunities 3 Access Access & opportunities 3 Knowledge Access & opportunities 1 Education Access & opportunities 1 Confidence Empowerment 4 Empowerment Empowerment 4 Strength Empowerment 1 Self esteem Empowerment 1 Power Empowerment 1 Voice Empowerment 1 Choice Freedom & independence 5 Freedom Freedom & independence 5 Independence Freedom & independence 4 Financial independence Freedom & independence 2 Agency Freedom & independence 1 Support Friendship & support 2 Mentoring Friendship & support 1 Friendship Friendship & support 1 Collaborative Friendship & support 1 Joint Friendship & support 1 Integrative Friendship & support 1 Contentment Happiness & contentment 3 Happiness Happiness & contentment 3 Having enough Happiness & contentment 1 Fulfilment Happiness & contentment 1 Emotional wellbeing Happiness & contentment 1 Sufficiency Happiness & contentment 1 Healthy economy Other 1 Maturity Other 1 Reducing poverty Other 1 Health Other 1 Security Safety & security 6 Safety Safety & security 5 Stability Safety & security 2 13

14 What does economic wellbeing mean to you? Participant responses. 14

15 Nazia Ahmed, Director of the Social Outcomes Lab, addressing participants to discuss economic wellbeing. 15

16 4. Identifying issues Participants were asked to identify issues/ challenges/ barriers faced by CALD women in the ACT with respect to economic wellbeing being as specific as possible and highlighting root causes. Participants discussed these issues within their groups and identified and presented their top five issues. After all groups had presented their issues participants were asked to prioritise these issues by each placing a sticker next to their top three issues. Economic Wellbeing Participants were shown the NSW Human Services Outcomes Domains, developed by the Social Outcomes Lab, to help stimulate discussion. 16

17 4. Identifying issues The table below shows the comprehensive list of issues identified by participants during the workshop. The No. of stickers column identifies the number of participants who identified the issue as one of their priority issues. Table 2: Comprehensive list of issues Issue No. of stickers "Isms": sexism, racism, ageism, classism 20 Recognition of skills, education and qualifications 12 Cultural barriers (assumptions and respect) 10 Communication and language barriers 7 Lack of self-worth 7 Access to information 7 Networking and relationships 6 Mutual understanding of cultures 5 Responsibilities 5 Lack of economic independence 5 Lack of mentoring 5 Traditional gender roles & respect 4 Women's safety 3 Adaptability (e.g. identity and name) 1 Glass ceiling 1 Health and mental health issues as barriers 1 Housing (DV, transport, access, safety) 1 Cultural awareness 1 Welfare conditions for CALD women who work and have young families 0 Pregnancy 0 CALD women with disabilities 0 Disempowerment and lack of confidence 0 Superannuation 0 Domestic violence 0 Social isolation 0 Power imbalances 0 Pay gap 0 17

18 4. Identifying issues The comprehensive list of issues was simplified into the categories below for further discussion. The most prominent issues identified were: "Isms": sexism, racism, ageism, classism Cultural barriers (language, assumptions and respect) Access to information Lack of self-worth Recognition of skills, education and qualifications Chart 2: Issues key themes identified Recognition of skills, education and qualifications, 12 "Isms": sexism, racism, ageism, classism, 20 Other, 21 Access to information, 13 Lack of selfworth, 7 Cultural barriers (language, assumptions and respect), 28 The boxes over the page list the issues that were discussed during the lab. Participants identified and discussed issues in their groups and then reported back to the group. 18

19 4. Identifying issues Discussion: Language and communication Australians have their own sense of humour that doesn t translate across cultures and visa versa. Some common questions may not have logical or literal answers, e.g. How are you going? referring to How are you? being misinterpreted with some responding as By bus.. rather than well or similar. English has nuances, there is a difference between hearing and you listening. There are also nuances surrounding verbal and non-verbal communication queues. Inclusivity and being inclusive goes beyond communication. To access to communication you need to be techno-savvy from day one. Who facilitates this when you come from a different country? Spouses on dependent visas (usually women) and refugees don t have English language requirements to move to Australia and often struggle with English, especially conversational English and pronunciation (even pronunciation of names) this is a big factor in adaptability. Recognition of skills and qualifications Many qualifications and work experiences are not recognised. E.g. some very qualified women work as waitresses or receptionists. One participant is an experienced IT consultant and was not able to get a job for five years because she didn t know how to respond to selection criteria. Relationships are very important in finding work, CALD women may not have access to the same professional networks as other Australians. There is often a lack of and lack of acceptance of qualifications amongst CALD women. Cross-cultural understanding, discrimination and respect CALD women feel like they have to respect Australian culture but it would be good if more Australians were aware of and respect other cultures too. There needs to be greater understanding of multiple world views. Sexism and racism are big problems. E.g. many women receive comments like: don t worry your pretty little head about it dear. Ageism is an issue, especially for older women. Often these women are economically dependent on their husbands and then if the marriage breaks down they end up homeless. How do we conceptualise diversity? Australia has one concept of diversity but it s meaning needs to be better defined. E.g. what it means and it s many different arms. The culture of disrespect is not just women vs. men but also men/ women vs. multicultural women. E.g. people giving them the finger or saying things like what are you doing here? Unconscious bias is often a major factor. Cultural awareness within the workplace and the community is difficult. Not all employers are culturally competent. There is a lack of mutual understanding. Social and cultural barriers play upon each other. E.g. help websites are usually in English. This can lead to social isolation because people can t get the information they need to be involved, this prevents people from developing the networks they may need to get a job. 19

20 5. Identifying issues Housing Housing is a problem, not just access but also location. E.g. four hours travel time to get to/ from work. It s also a problem for DV. Housing safety is also a problem. E.g. safety fly screen doors. Empowerment There is a lot of talent among women and opportunities and enablers to unlock the potential could be identified through the collective impact process. Disempowerment and lack of confidence can prevent CALD women from achieving what they want. Women may not give themselves enough value and have low self-worth, even when they have high qualifications. Often when women come to Australia they become stayat-home mum s to avoid child care costs (even if they have high qualifications) this can reduce their self-worth. Women are also not earning money in this scenario which leaves them financially dependent on their husbands. There is a lack of mentoring and professional networking opportunities. E.g. experienced Australian psychologists could mentor newly arrived migrants. There used to be migrant centres available, now these are just for refugees and there isn t any equivalent service for skilled migrants. There is a stigma around these services that skilled migrants can t use them because then they take the place of refugees. These groups have different needs. Safety Domestic violence is an issue, the understanding of what constitutes domestic violence can differ between cultures. There can also be stigma in getting help or if a woman wants to leave her husband. Economic barriers Financial barriers can have a big impact. CALD women often take entry level jobs that have long hours, lower pay, and are higher risk for exploitation. Pay gaps and financial management by men can lead to power imbalances. Some jobs require workers to go through a lot of exams/ tests that can restrict work opportunities. It would be good if there was a skilled professional mentoring group. Glass ceiling/ bamboo wall. Pregnancy can be a barrier to employment, women may not be given jobs or have their contracts renewed if employers know that they are pregnant. Often when women return from pregnancy they ve lost their job or been demoted. The superannuation gap. If you can t acquire or build on superannuation then you are basically guaranteed to be in poverty in older age. Physical health and disability can be a barrier to getting a job. Mental health Mental health is a big issue for migrants but they don t want to seek help because of stigma. There are different understandings of mental health across cultures and different levels of literacy. 20

21 Participants presenting the issues/challenges/barriers identified in their group discussions 21

22 Participants prioritising the issues/challenges/barriers identified 22

23 5. Solutions Participants were asked to pick one of the top five issues identified in the previous activity and discuss ideas to address the issues in a group with other participants who were also interested in addressing this issue. Participants then shared group s solution ideas with the rest of the attendees. The issues discussed were in line with the priority issues identified in the previous activity: "Isms": sexism, racism, ageism, classism Cultural barriers (language, assumptions and respect) Access to information Lack of self-worth Recognition of skills, education and qualifications 23

24 Solutions The table below presents the key issues together with proposed solutions The next workshop will be focused on identifying further solutions associated with these issues. Chart 3: Overview of solutions identified for key issues Key issue "Isms": sexism, racism, ageism, classism Access to information Cultural barriers (language, assumptions and respect) Lack of selfworth Recognition of skills, education and qualifications Proposed solution Implement zero-tolerance policies in the workplace and other institutions Public education and awareness campaigns that celebrate success Focus on the positive aspects of people s attributes Cultural awareness and training programs for employers and the wider community Buddy/ mentoring/ coaching/ networking program Community organisations/ associations run formal welcoming programs Housing support (e.g. referees) Community hub (physical information centre, not just paper-based) Introduction/ orientation program for recently arrived migrants (from arrival) Buddy/ mentoring/ coaching/ networking program International students need to have a channel/ connection with universities New arrivals to create a list of areas of support/ information required Support for interaction with agencies (e.g. Health) Intercultural/ diversity workshops Reinvigorate the Australian Migrant Community Centre Peer workers at support services Cultural awareness and training programs for employers and the wider community Community hub (physical information centre, not just paper-based) Introduction/ orientation program for recently arrived migrants (from arrival) Buddy/ mentoring/ coaching/ networking program Educating men Social integration/ education Belonging/ acceptance outside of "role" Support women to gain access to child care Buddy/ mentoring/ coaching/ networking program Overseas Assessment Unit need to be more proactive Review of job skills that are recognised, especially female-dominated professions Training funded by ACT/ Federal government Support women to gain access to child care Introduction/ orientation program for recently arrived migrants (from arrival) Buddy/ mentoring/ coaching/ networking program 24

25 5. Solutions Training funded by ACT/ Federal government As the discussion between groups took place regarding the possible solutions, it was identified that a number of the solutions could be addressing multiple issues. The mapping table below presents the mapping of the solutions to the issue. This mapping may assist in prioritising the solutions to focus on. Chart 4: Mapping of solutions identified by key issue Issues Solution "Isms Access to information Cultural barriers Lack of selfworth Recognition of skills, education & qualifications Belonging/ acceptance outside of "role" Buddy/ mentoring/ coaching/ networking program Community hub (physical information centre, not just paper-based) Community organisations/ associations run formal welcoming programs Cultural awareness and training programs for employers and the wider community Educating men Focus on the positive aspects of people s attributes Housing support (e.g. referees) Implement zero-tolerance policies in the workplace and other institutions Intercultural/ diversity workshops International students need to have a channel/ connection with universities Introduction/ orientation program for recently arrived migrants (from arrival) New arrivals to create a list of areas of support/ information required Overseas Assessment Unit need to be more proactive Peer workers at support services Public education and awareness campaigns that celebrate success Reinvigorate the Australian Migrant Community Centre Review of job skills that are recognised, especially female-dominated professions Social integration/ education Support for interaction with agencies (e.g. Health) Support women to gain access to child care

26 5. Solutions Cultural Barriers (language assumptions and respect) Solutions identified by this group entailed the following: International students need to have a channel/ connection with universities Introduction/ orientation program for recently arrived migrants Interactive support (not just paper-based) New arrivals to create a list of areas of support/ information required Buddy/ mentoring program Support for interaction with agencies (e.g. Health) Intercultural/ diversity workshops Cultural awareness programs for employers and the wider community (e.g. SBS Cultural Competency Program) Support from arrival at the airport (e.g. orientation with a support person, brochure, information on where to go for help in various languages etc.) Reinvigorate the Australian Migrant Community Centre to conduct migrant orientations Peer workers at support services Discussion This group began by going a bit deeper into the underlying issues behind their issue and built upon these to develop their solutions. The underlying issues they identified included: Sense of identity and belonging Multiculturalism/ SES/ Regional-urban divide What does it mean to be Australian? How is being Australian defined? "Isms": sexism, racism, ageism, classism Solutions identified Implement zero-tolerance policies in the workplace, scope to extend much more broadly Public education and awareness campaigns that celebrate the success of diverse cultures (e.g. ad campaigns on multiple mediums, promoting celebrity/ key figure achievements etc.) Training programs in workplaces, schools and other institutions to encourage empathy (e.g. role playing (e.g. global lunch and British colonisation of Australia, blue/ brown eye experiment), multicultural days at schools, Harmony Week etc.) Focus on the positive aspects of people s attributes rather than the negative Discussion: This group focused on increasing empathy and positive image through advertising campaigns and leveraging the power of institutions such as workplaces and schools. Once example discussed was the global lunch where participants are allocated a country and fed in proportion to the statistics and also in accordance with other conditions (e.g. war), inequalities (e.g. gender, class etc.) and traditions of that country. 26

27 6. Solutions Access to information Solutions identified Community hub (safe environment, physical information centre) Providing information/ supports immediately after someone arrives in Australia, not just language courses, different options needed for refugees and skilled migrants Mentoring for new arrivals (e.g. buddy program through university or other organisation) Community organisations/ associations should have a formal welcoming program for new migrants (e.g. welcome dinner) Housing support (e.g. support getting housing referees) Discussion: This group discussed the importance of welcoming migrants and giving them the support and information that they need as soon as they arrive as well as ongoing networking and the importance of safe physical spaces where migrants can gain access to information (e.g. not all migrants have internet access or are able to understand the language on information websites). Recognition of skills, education and qualifications Solutions identified Coaching and mentoring (e.g. introduction to language community and community leaders) Overseas Assessment Unit need to be more proactive in providing notice of future changes and increasing awareness (e.g. greater guidance around next moves, tests, etc. and greater collaboration with institutions such as CIT) Review of job skills that are recognised, especially in regards to female-dominated professions (e.g. hair dressing) Support women to gain access to child care (e.g. through the Women Return to Work Programme) Training funded by ACT/ Federal government (especially for older women) Discussion: This group took a predominantly systems-level approach to address the lack of recognition for skills, education and qualification exploring the roles of organisations and the government in creating solutions. 27

28 6. Solutions Lack of self-worth Solutions identified Education/ mentoring Sending children to child care so women are released to pursue work Networking and role-modelling/ mentoring Educating men Social integration/ education Belonging/ acceptance outside of role Discussion: This group discussed beginning by going a bit deeper into the root causes behind their issue and built upon these to develop their solutions. The root causes they identified included: Upbringing/ childhood Gender norms Undervaluing child care Impact of parents comments Generational change Lack of positive role models ( you can t be what you can t see ) Lack of confidence 28

29 Participants discuss solutions to issues with SOULAB facilitator Jananie William (top right). 29

30 6. Next steps The Social Outcomes Lab will distribute this report to participants. Participants have been asked to come along to the next workshop in the series and bring others who might be interested in engaging with this topic. The next workshop (to be held in February) will be focused on further development of the solution ideas identified in the December 1 st 2018 workshop. 30

31 Appendix A: Agenda # Time What Who pm Registration All pm pm pm Welcome, introduction to the project and background Ice breaker activity What does economic wellbeing mean to you? Identifying issues and actions through group discussion What challenges do Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Women face in the ACT with respect to work, money and skills? (15 min + report back) How do these challenges vary between different age groups, educational backgrounds, cultural backgrounds etc? (10 minute group discussion) Which issues will we focus on? Which are the most important? Prioritise three issues (10 min) How will we address these issues? (20 min + report back) Identifying our commitment through group discussion What is our commitment post today? What role will we play in making change happen? Who will we connect with? (10 min + report back) Dr. Madhumita Iyengar, Chair of IWiN Nazia Ahmed, The Social Outcomes Lab (SOULAB) All All All Next steps and workshop close Chair, IWiN 31