Broads on Boards

a take on board PODCAST special SERIES:

THE STORY OF WOMEN ON BOARDS OF DIRECTORS IN AUSTRALia

Who were the first women to enter a boardroom in Australia? How did they get there? What can we learn from their achievements and legacies? 

Discover some of the incredible women who paved the way and opened boardroom doors, thanks to women networks, mentoring and perseverance. What the series teaches us… ‘women have always done leadership’.

PODCAST TRAILER

I have a question for you. When do you think the first woman was appointed to a board of directors in Australia? 1970s? 1980s?

 

Not sure? We didn’t know either. So, we started digging...

INTRODUCTION: INDIGENOUS GOVERNANCE

First Nations women 'have always had valued roles and responsibilities' in Indigenous governance.

CH 1: THE PIONEERS

1877-1913

Many of these board pioneers took on governance roles well before women could vote in a federal election.

CH 2: THE OPPORTUNISTS

1914-1946

These women took advantage of the ‘professionalisation of social welfare’ and wartime opportunities.

CH 3: THE CHARITABLE ELITE

1947-1962

In conservative post-war Australia, those with financial support helped out on committees and boards.

CH 4: THE TRAILBLAZERS

1963-1979

The board trailblazers during the 1960s and 1970s made it possible for board boomtime in the 1980s to happen.

CH 5: THE CHANGEMAKERS

1980-1989

The 1980s changed women’s role in the workforce and on boards as much as feminism changed lives in the 1970s.

CH 6: THE POWERHOUSES

1990-1999

The number of women taking on board roles for the first time surged from the previous decade.

CH 7: THE LEADERS

2000-2010

More women became board chairs. And women professional NEDs were in more ASX boardrooms.

CH 8: THE REFORMERS

2011-2023

A ‘new breed of board directors’ emerged. Women from a diverse range of backgrounds entered the boardroom.

Sign up to the newsletters

Newsletter category(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.