This year’s International Women’s Day theme – Count her in: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress – resonates with many at Orgyen, who have seen firsthand the positive outcomes of investing in women’s talent and potential for leading the revolution in youth mental health.
International Women's Day is an opportunity to acknowledge the challenges faced by all women – challenges that are compounded for women of colour, women with disabilities, queer and trans women – and to commit to continuing work for an equal and more just society.
Orygen was proud to reach gender parity at all academic levels, including professors, in 2023, but it’s not just within its academic ranks that Orygen's work in youth mental health is benefitting from investing in women’s careers, with women leading impactful change across the whole organisation.
In celebrating the achievements of every woman at Orygen this International Women’s Day we spoke to eight of those individuals to share their stories and reflections:
As far as she knows, Astha Tomar (pictured first from left) is the first woman to hold the position of Director of Clinical Services and authorised psychiatrist at Orygen, a role of huge responsibility overseeing clinical governance and ensuring all legal requirements are met in the delivery of care.
She is also the first woman of colour to be elected president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP). Of this significant achievement, Astha says: “A bit of drive for me was to make it somewhat easier for the next generation of women. I do not want their aspirations to be limited by their gender.”
“It’s important to mark days like International Women’s Day, and to use them as an opportunity to hit the pause button and reflect on where we’re at and where we’re going – and to recognise that we still have a long way to go.”
“In the medical profession you can still find that you’re the only woman at a table of men, and even at this level, where you’ve reached what is arguably a high-status position with a great deal of expertise and responsibility, you realise things are not at an equal footing.”
“This is not to lay blame, but we shouldn’t accept in a well-resourced country like Australia – where we talk about wellbeing and work/life balance – that we still have such gaps in pay and status for women.”
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Sarah Joseph’s (pictured far right) role as Head of Sponsor Operations is all about enabling researchers to do their best work. She is part of a wider team that supports researchers by providing expert advice, tools and frameworks needed to understand regulatory requirements and best practice.
This enabling environment is something Sarah has experienced in her own career and sees this support as vital for women’s full participation in the workforce.
Sarah says, “Over the last decade I’ve been able to progress my career in the one place – whereas many people have to move around to take the next step – and I’ve seen the value of working for an organisation that recognises barriers exist for women and takes active steps to remove them.”
“I’m proud to be part of an organisation that not only cares about the impact of its work on society and the lives of young people, but also understands the impact of investing in women and recognising the immense value their knowledge and experience brings to the work we do.”
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In reflecting on the theme of International Women’s Day, Vivienne Browne says that investing in women – and the unique skills and experience they bring to the workplace – is a key part of building an engaged and committed team.
Beginning as a policy analyst at Orygen ten years ago, Vivienne has risen to the level of director, policy and engagement.
“I think women can sometimes experience ‘imposter syndrome’ – particularly when they find themselves in leadership positions – but it’s important to understand there are different ways of being a leader, and women can bring unique value to these senior roles,” Vivienne says.
“When I moved into the role of Director of Policy and Engagement at Orygen I had the opportunity to undertake a leadership course, which really opened my eyes to different leadership styles, and made me realise that skills such as empathy and relationship-building are extremely valuable to an organisation.
“‘Counting her in’ is about removing barriers but also about offering leadership opportunities to young women early in their careers, giving them the confidence they need to challenge themselves and see the unique contribution they can make.”
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With more than 30 years’ experience as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse and now working as Coordinator of Orygen’s Youth Prevention and Recovery Care (YPARC) facility, Katharine Davies (pictured second from left) has played a lead role in developing the Orygen Recovery service and is now supporting young people to overcome challenges and reach their full potential.
While Katharine says working in the caring profession has meant she’s had many female leaders, she says there is still room for improvement.
“I’ve experienced women near the top for most of my career, but this is perhaps less likely at the executive level – meaning we still need to actively support more women to move up into these positions,” Katharine says.
“And with our young people, we still see that young women and girls feel constrained in the kind of jobs and careers they can aim for, and also hear of young women continuing to experience bullying in male-dominated workplaces.
“We work with young women who may be lacking confidence, and so part of what we do is supporting these young people to feel empowered, helping them understand that no career is out of the question for them.
“While we build up the confidence of young women, it’s vital that we also create more opportunities for women, recognising that we are not all standing on a level playing field.”
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Petula Frantz (pictured fourth from left) has seen Orygen grow significantly in her 13 years of working at the organisation, and has gone from managing the finances of a small research entity to being Director of Finance at an institute that’s tripled in size and now manages grants from 200 different sources.
For her, International Women’s Day is a chance to recognise the value of women in the workplace, and the different skills and perspectives they bring.
“This is the first time in 12 years that I’ve had a female boss, and it’s interesting to see the different approaches to leadership,” Petula says.
“I’m lucky to work with women who are such strong advocates, and who really invest in development opportunities for women.
“I’ve had the chance to develop new programs, learn new skillsets, be part of setting up brand new systems … and I’ve been given support to lead and time to develop and challenge myself to achieve more.”
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Starting as a senior graphic designer in 2013, Adrien Powning quickly rose to the level of manager – a role she was supported to take up with a mentor – and has since revolutionised Orygen’s creative services offering. Implementing a major rebrand and new strategy, developing new photography and setting up an in-house video service, Adrien has led a team of designers to implement an innovative approach to Orygen’s visual and brand identity.
“Working at an organisation where there’s openness to change is important if you’re going to take on a huge project like a total re-brand,” Adrien says.
“It’s also important to invest in staff and empower them to take on new challenges, something I was supported to do when I started out, and something I’m now able to offer to less experienced members of the team.
“We can’t shy away from the tough conversations when it comes to gender equality and equal pay, but I’ve seen a lot of progress when it comes to transparency, investing in women and creating a respectful and inclusive workplace where women can reach their full potential.”
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Ella Gow (pictured third from left) has worked at Orygen for six years, having joined the organisation straight out of university. She began by working in administration, then moved into youth participation and is now working in the policy team focused on advocacy and engagement.
“At each step I’ve been really supported to grow and challenge myself, and been encouraged to try new things in my career, which has really allowed me to grow and develop a wide range of skills,” Ella says.
“I think we’re at a crossroads for gender equality, we need more feminist change-makers to keep building a more equal society and we particularly need to invest in women of diverse backgrounds to solve the ‘wicked problems’ of the world.”
“Gender equality is a core value of mine and is at the heart of everything I do in my work, and I’m proud to have such strong female leaders supporting me in my career.”
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Where to from here?
Orygen’s Chief of Strategy and Engagement, Kerryn Pennell, who in 2021 was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women for her leadership and her advocacy work, says “for me part of investing in women is ensuring that you're reaching out and supporting your colleagues, offering time to mentor, seeking out ways to support other women to move beyond underselling themselves”.
Looking forward, Kerryn says we need to recognise the perceptions and biases – often unconscious – that very much still exist and impact on women's opportunities to express themselves authentically.
“We still have a situation where certain characterisations are pervasive, where a woman can behave in the same way as a man but be perceived very differently,” Kerryn says.
"Women should not have to modify their behaviour for fear of being judged or stigmatised ... we need to constantly reflect on these biases, challenge stereotypes and ensure women are lifting each other up, both challenging and supporting each other to raise their voices and be heard.”
As Astha Tomar says, the key ingredient to accelerating change is “valuing and supporting a woman’s commitment and contribution to the workforce … once we truly support that, financially and culturally, then we may finally see an equal number of men and women in positions of power across society”.