#IWD2024

ANU celebrates women every day and particularly on International Women's Day (IWD).

To mark International Women's Day this year, come along to the Susan Ryan Oration, our flagship IWD event, on Monday 25 March and hear from Padma Raman PSM, Executive Director of the Office for Women at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 

In this week's edition, we are also sharing the work and stories of our community's commitment to female empowerment, gender equity and the issues facing women in all walks of life.

Read more stories and events on our IWD page

Elizabeth Blower. Image: ANU 

Rowing for 24 hours straight on Lake Burley Griffin isn’t how most of us would choose to spend our Saturday, but ANU staffer Elizabeth Blower is ready to get her boat in the water and make her own waves. 

On 9 March, Blower will launch her single scull from Sullivan’s Creek and row continuously across the Canberra lake until 9am the following morning.

Keep reading

Image: Bessie Rischbieth and Ruby Rich attending the 12th Congress of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance in Istanbul, Turkey, 1935. Photo: Australian Information Service. National Library of Australia digitised item

Women not getting credit when credit’s due? Sounds familiar. That’s why you should meet the Australian women who have helped to shape our nation’s history and improve the lives of women everywhere. 

Despite leaving an incredible mark on both the development of feminism in Australia and our nation, Bessie Rischbieth, Olive Zakharov and Ruby Hammond aren’t widely known household names.  

One ANU researcher thinks they should be – and is working hard to make sure the three trailblazers of get the attention they deserve. 

Read more 

As part of his doctoral research at the Neuroimaging and Brain Lab with the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Dr Ananthan Ambikairajah found that women can't actually blame menopause for weight gain.

Instead, he finds that you can blame ageing for weight gain. Menopause is likely only responsible for weight redistribution.

"I definitely get that it may not seem like an empowering message," he says. "But actually, it is, because it emphasises the need to focus on preventative strategies for women’s health."

Keep reading

International Women's Day serves as a poignant reminder that there is an ongoing global struggle for gender equity and a need for concerted efforts to break down barriers, and to celebrate, acknowledge, and empower women and gender diverse people in all spheres of life.

This week marks the official launch of the University's first Gender Equity Strategy. The Strategy is the University’s solid commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable environment for staff, students and the community we serve. 

The Strategy's development was led by Professor Fiona Jenkins, Convenor of the ANU Gender Institute and Chair of the Gender Equity Working Group along with the ANU Gender Equity Plan taskforce, who researched cultural change, reviewed good practice and undertook extensive consultation with our community to develop the strategy.

Read the Strategy

Monday 25 March, 6-7pm

The 2024 Susan Ryan Oration will be delivered by Padma Raman PSM, Executive Director of the Office for Women (OFW) at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 

The Susan Ryan Oration stands as the University's flagship International Women's Day celebration, dedicated to honouring the late Susan Ryan, one of our community's greatest advocates for age and gender equality. 
 
This annual event provides a platform to commemorate Susan's remarkable legacy of advocacy and her profound contributions that have positively impacted Australia and the global community. 

Register now

Thursday 7 March, 12-1pm 

To mark International Women's Day, the Safety and Wellbeing team are opening up the conversation about menopause. This session will cover why we need to know about menopause and available support resources.

This event is free for ANU staff. 

Register now

Friday 8 March, 1pm

Come along and hear Dr Janet Salisbury (Founder of the Women’s Climate Congress) and Dr Lauren DuFall (CEO, ARC Training Centre for Future Crops Development) who will present their reflections on what International Women's Day means to them in the context of this year's theme 'Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress'.

This event is hosted by the Agrifood Innovation Institute.

Register now

Friday 8 March, 12-2pm  

Hosted by the ANU College of Business and Economics, engage in an enlightening conversation on International Women’s Day as the College celebrates the achievements of women and explores pathways to inclusion.

Register now

Wednesday 27 March, 6-7.30pm  

Hosted by the ANU Gender Institute, Ambassador Stephanie Copus Campbell AM, an influential advocate for gender equality, will be delivering the 2024 Pamela Denoon Lecture. 

Register now

Thursday 7 March, 4-5.30pm 

This talk will present a nuanced examination of contemporary Chinese artworks and the artists' personal narratives. 

The ANU China Seminar Series is supported by the Australian Centre on China in the World at ANU College of Asia and the Pacific.

Register now

Thursday 21 March 

Have you ever wondered why humans generally find conflict so difficult? Hosted by the People & Culture team, come along to this workshop and better understand the emotional and cognitive responses to tough conversations and develop the skill set necessary to engage in purposeful and productive tough conversations.

Registrations close on Sunday 10 March. 

Register now

Wednesday 20 March, 5-7.30pm

Don't forget to register for the Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Excellence in Education - an important opportunity to recognise and pay respect to the effort, innovation and care our teaching community provides to our students. 

Register now

Image: Alex Wood and Enzo D’Ambrogio

***This story mentions suicide which may be distressing to readers***

When Alex Wood lost his father to suicide in 2015, he was driven to improve mental health outcomes for all.  

This led to him registering for the Zoo 2 Zoo charity cycle, a six-day cycle from Melbourne Zoo to Canberra’s National Zoo & Aquarium, to fundraise for the Black Dog Institute. 

Eight years and $33,000 later, the charity cycle has become a meaningful feat of athleticism that Alex faces annually.   

If you know someone who deserves a spotlight get in touch with the On Campus team.  

 Read more 

Interim Director, University Experience

Through a competitive recruitment process, Lisa Kennedy has been appointed Interim Director, University Experience and will commence on Thursday 7 March. Many of you may already be familiar with Lisa's exceptional leadership in ensuring high-quality services for both students and staff as Head of Clinical Services. Amongst Lisa's achievements, she has established robust governance structures to enhance safety and oversight, highlighting her dedication to student safety, wellbeing and leadership. 

Lisa will play a pivotal role in upholding our unwavering commitment to providing a world-class student experience. Under her guidance, the University Experience Division will continue to be a cornerstone in nurturing a culture that prioritises student safety, support, and overall well-being within the student body and University community. 

We would like to thank Sarah Walker for her guidance and dedication while serving as the Acting incumbent. 

To stay connected to our community and leadership team, keep reading On Campus every Tuesday for updates on key new appointments and movements.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Seventeen SDGs were adopted as a universal call for urgent action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030, all people enjoy peace and prosperity.  

For SDG Awareness week from 4-8 March, here’s how you can get involved with programs and events at ANU:

- Join the ANU SDG Community of Practice, which aims to facilitate greater visibility of the SDGs and collaboration in research and practical initiatives across the University.

Read more 

Attend SDG related events this week:

Community of Suffering: Hong Kong Struggles for Democracy

Tuesday 5 March, 5.30-7.30pm  

Hosted by the Australian Centre on China in the World, this seminar will delve into the evolving landscape of leadership, strategies and political identities within the Hong Kong democratic movement since the mid-1980s. 

Register now

Accelerating the net zero transition: clean energy in Australia and the US

Thursday 7 March, 4-5pm

Hosted by the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions, join us for a fascinating panel discussion with Andrew Light, Assistant Secretary, US Department of Energy exploring the accelerating clean energy transformation in the US and Australia.

Register now

Following an issue identified during out pre-change checks, and in consultation with our firewall partner (Palo Alto) and our valued ANU technical stakeholders, we elected not to proceed with the migration of our firewalls over the weekend.

As the network outage did not take place, no systems have been impacted.

We thank you for your patience as we work to keep ANU safe. We will work to migrate our Firewalls in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

The People & Culture team is excited to reinvigorate the ANU Indigenous Staff Network this year and are calling for interest from any Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander staff members who wish to join. The team also welcomes your input on the kind of events you'd like to see in 2024.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the network, or if you are no longer interested, and wish to be removed from the distribution list, please contact indigenous.employment@anu.edu.au. 

Your participation is invaluable as we work to create an inclusive and supportive community at ANU. 

Image: Canberra Comedy Festival

13 - 24 March 

Canberra's favourite comedy event is returning in 2024 with some of the finest Australian comedic acts. Read the festival program. 

We're giving away a double pass to the upcoming show:

Saturday 16 March, 8.30pm at The Street Theatre

Canberra Comedy Festival Debate

Follow the instructions in the entry form to go into the draw and you could be one of the lucky winners! The competition will close at noon AEDT Tuesday 12 March 2024. Terms and conditions apply. 

More giveaways will be announced next week - stay tuned.