Telstra & Thoughtworks

What problem is being addressed?

Gender equality in the workplace and the lack of representation for women in the technology industry.

What is their innovative solution?

• Action: Both companies are implementing strategies laid out by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) who says these steps are integral to addressing pay equity.
  • Awareness and Understanding
  • Build a business case
  • Gain leadership commitment
  • Data Analysis
  • Strategy and action
  • Review and refine
  • Taking the “Plus One Pledge” which aims to increase the representation of women in management.
  • Target to have 35% of the company be women.
  • Recruiting women to senior management positions.
  • Salary and payroll reviews to ensure that pay is reflecting quality of work and their job.
• People: The Managing Officers of Thoughtworks and the Chief Executive Officer of Telstra and largely involved in creating these targets, reviews and intentions for hiring.

How can this be applied to Meadville?

The majority of employers within the city are large, corporate owned businesses like Walmart or Ainsworth. Creating and implementing gender equality programs in these companies would be more difficult because it requires a change to the entire, nationwide system. Small businesses in Meadville have the power to take these initiatives and implement them into their own business plans. Equality doesn’t always have to occur at a large scale, if many businesses in Meadville begin equality reviews, then the whole atmosphere of gender equality in Meadville could change.