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The Women's Agenda Podcast
Stay smart, get savvy! The stories that lead the week
We chat through the key stories shaping Women's Agenda. From the leaders doing the right (and wrong things), to the policymakers shaping the future for women, and the breakthrough moments making a difference and more. Th
Latest episode
AI Unlocked: Closing the Gender Gaps in AI special
15:40|Welcome to a special edition of the Women’s Agenda podcast. This is AI Unlocked, Part One of a three-part series sponsored by Salesforce.In today's episode, we spotlight the gender gaps in who is designing AI tools, and then how such tools are being used. More men than women are using generative AI, according to research by Salesforce and YouGov. So how did we get here, and what can be done? We examine the issue through conversations with several leaders, including UN Women Australia, Salesforce, AI entrepreneurs, and advocates. The next ep of AI Unlocked will be in your feed next Saturday. Thank you to Salesforce for supporting this series, as well as our journalist Dinushi Dias and senior producer Allison Ho.
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Beyond bikini health for women
25:07|On a mission to catch up for lost time on women's health, today's guest outlines areas of women's health that have been sidelined for too long, areas that can be addressed. Professor Jane Hirst is an academic obstetrician and the Global program director of women’s health at The George Institute for Global Health. We explore some of the opportunities ahead. Some of the big wins, and why Professor Hirst remain optimistic even after challenging news in recent weeks that the Trump administration is cutting funding to international development programs globally, including those that deal with women's health. Professor Hirst is an excellent and passionate advocate for women's health. There is so much to takeaway from this conversation.Just 2%! The funding gap for women founders and how it can change
27:38|The overwhelming majority of startup funding went to male founders in 2024 with the results actually going backwards for women. So why is this still happening, given all the rhetoric from governments, investors and founders on the need for change to support more women in startups?Today, we discuss the numbers in the State of Startup Funding Report for 2024, released in early February and documenting the year that was for startups in Australia. Noga Edelstein joins the discussion, sharing her perspective as a founder herself, an investor and an advisor to startups. Noga offers some great ideas on why the gender funding gap persists and what can be done to change the ratio in the future. She also shares more on the "soul destroying" process she went through raising capital for her own startup UrbanYou, which she later successfully exited in 2017. Finally, Noga wraps up the episode with advice for women looking to build a startup in 2025. You can learn more about the State of Startup Founding report here. The Women's Agenda Podcast is produced by Agenda Media, publisher of Women's Agenda. You can subscribe to our daily lunchtime update here.Women, community and chasing once safe Liberal seats
36:54|A number of female Independent MPs changed the face of politics at the last election, winning once considered safe Liberal seats. And in 2022, Nicolette Boele almost joined them, achieving a 15.28% swing against the Liberal incumbent Paul Fletcher in what was once considered the safest Liberal seat in the country: Bradfield, in Sydney’s north. Nicolette hopes to go one step further this year, with the Federal election due by May. She joins the Women’s Agenda Podcast to share more about her campaign launch, what the past few years have been like and the power of community in supporting each other as individuals and also in achieving great things. The Women's Agenda Podcast is produced by Agenda Media, publisher of Women's Agenda.What workplace bullying is doing to us
35:29|More women than men are reporting workplace bullying, and many of us feel increasingly lonely. Given that we spend so much of our lives at work, there is much to discuss regarding the connection between workplace bullying, loneliness, and the erosion of social cohesion. Melanie Wilde is deeply passionate about these issues and has recently established the Foundation for Social Health. This is a crucial conversation, especially given the changes we're witnessing across the community and as many of us dive into the new work year. Unfortunately, some individuals may be dreading this time, not due to work stress but because of the people they must interact with. Learn more about why this matters and the role we can all play in combating loneliness—not just through addressing workplace bullying, but in various other ways as well. Read Melanie's opinion piece in Women's Agenda about how workplace bullying is eroding social bonds. Let's engage in this discussion. About Melanie Wilde: An expert in mental health policy and service design with over 20 years of experience, Melanie leads a new national initiative to tackle Australia’s loneliness crisis as CEO of the Foundation for Social Health. She has been published in The Age and Canberra Times and regularly comments on mental health issues with ABC Canberra.It’s DEI’s fault! Why companies are proudly cutting DEI
25:20|Wildfires in LA? Clearly, DEI’s to blame! Companies like Meta and Walmart are proudly cutting back their Diversity, Equity & Inclusion programs. Just as DEI continues to take the blame for everything from a bridge collapse in Baltimore to a NZ Navy ship accident and now this week the catastrophic fires in Los Angeles. Today, we speak with two guests to outline what’s going on, what this could mean for Australia, and just how damaging the rhetoric about DEI is to those who already face additional challenges in their careers. Prabha Nandagopal is a human rights and discrimination lawyer who recently established Elevat Consulting Partners. She outlines the issue and urges leaders to consider the evidence regarding diversity and inclusion practices. Jemi Jeng is an entrepreneur (founder of Penny) and also works int he NSW public sector. She shares a personal take on the damage this rhetoric about D&I programs can do, and the casse for inclusive practices to better tap the full potential of the workforce. More on our guests Prabha Nandagopal has been involved in eliminating sexual harm, sexual harassment and systemic discrimination in Australia for many years, including with the development of the positive duty to eliminate sexual harassment and sex discrimination from inception to implementation. In 2020, she was senior legal advisor to the Respect@Work National Inquiry and helped shape the positive duty regulatory scheme. She also led the development of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s new positive duty guidance material and established the Commission’s positive duty compliance and enforcement team.She founded Elevate Consulting Partners in 2022 to support the work of organisations committed to positive change. Jemi Jeng is the founder of Penny - a startup helping women achieve their homeownership and financial goals. She is also a Program Manager with the NSW Department of Customer Service. Jemi has undertaken her own research on racism at work and written on the topic for Women’s Agenda. Jemi recently shared a mini keynote with Women's Agenda. See a preview here.Zuckerberg just changed everything for women on social media
26:33|Goodbye, fact-checkers and hello more opportunities for misogyny on Meta platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Threads.Mark Zuckerberg's short video announcement this week turned the internet on its head and marks a monumental shift in safety for women on social media, especially for women in already marginalised groups.So what does it mean and how can we stay safe?Yasmin London joins the podcast to share her expertise in navigating social media platforms -- without having to remove yourself entirely.Yasmin and host Angela Priestley unpack the announcement, why it's such a pivotal shift and some of the strategies that can be used for staying safe and for supporting other women.About our guest Yasmin LondonAs a former elite athlete, international gold medallist, and tenured police officer, Yasmin brings a unique depth of experience and a growth mindset to her role as Global Online Safety Advisor and Brand Director at Qoria. Her diverse background enables her to drive meaningful impact on a global scale. Through Qoria, Yasmin has reached over 29,000 schools, 25 million students, and 6 million parents worldwide, empowering them to navigate their digital journeys with confidence and control.Check out Yasmin's website here. And you can also find her on LinkedIn.We recently profiled Yasmin on Women's Agenda here.