Victorian Women Lawyers

Congratulations to Alanna I., one of our Competitions Officers and member of our executive, on her recent contribution to the Law Institute Journal. Her article on ‘Stopping the clock’ on imposter syndrome is available to read in the September edition or on the LIJ website: https://lnkd.in/greSc2xy

We are proud to celebrate the hard work of our 2023 Publications Committee and the writers for our 2023 Portia magazine. Today, we highlight Shifa Shaikh's article 'In conversation with Her Honour Justice Patricia Anne Matthews of the Supreme Court of Victoria'. You can read it on our website https://lnkd.in/eN7pnrEt. IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A purple tile with a green centre. The white heading reads 'In conversation with Her Honour Justice Patricia Anne Matthews of the Supreme Court of Victoria'. Underneath to the left is the cover of Portia 2023 featuring a woman dressed in colourful clothes lying on soft fabrics. To the right is a quote from the article reading: “Her Honour… emphasised above all the importance of being respectful and reasonable in one’s conduct as a lawyer. “You might be having a heated argument within a matter but that does not stop you from being polite and courteous and giving ground where you need to. If someone needs an extra day or two to do something, don’t rush off to the Court about that, be sensible, because you might need that the next time”, she advised. “Have a fight when you need to have one but otherwise work it out”, “don’t ruin your good points by putting them among bad points” and “aim to narrow the issues in dispute.” Underneath the quote is the author's name, Shifa Shaikh. At the bottom of the tile is the VWL logo.

Applications for our professional mentoring program close this week!

Angela Barac is a Partner at Maddocks, a proud sponsor of VWL. Head to our website to learn a bit more about her journey! https://lnkd.in/gf6fupkq *** [Image description 1: A white, light purple and pale green background. In purple, the heading reads ‘SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT’ with ‘Angela Barac’ in cursive purple underneath. In white, the middle right of the page reads ‘VWL celebrates the achievements and people of our sponsor organisations by spotlighting leaders within their teams. Today we are spotlighting Angela Barac, Partner at Maddocks. You can read more about Angela's career on our website.’ To the left is a headshot of Angela. At the bottom of the image are the VWL and Maddocks logos. Image description 2: The same heading as image 1. Instead of a headshot, underneath is white text on a purple background with a snippet of Sponsor Spotlight responses: "Yesterday ...there is value in being honest and sharing your intentions. We don’t always know what our options are, and during those times we should look for guidance from others... Today ..understanding and valuing each team member’s contribution is crucial and that’s how we support each other to succeed... Tomorrow ...success is very personal so we need to actively support women, with all their wonderful differences, to succeed in the way that they want..." At the bottom of the image are the VWL and Maddocks logos.]

It's Equal Pay Day today, and our Commissioner Dr Niki Vincent is here to set the record straight! 💥 We've all heard the myths surrounding the gender pay gap, but how much of it is really true? Tune into our video as the Commissioner debunks some of the most common misconceptions. Share this video to help bust these myths on Equal Pay Day💥 #EqualPayDay

On 8 August 2024, VWL and sponsor firm Maurice Blackburn Lawyers held the Menstruation to Menopause: Women’s Heath in the Workplace Panel event. The event highlighted the importance of education, policy changes, and open dialogue in creating supportive work environments for women at various stages of their lives. Some of the key points included: - Women often feel uncomfortable discussing menstruation and menopause at work. This lack of psychological safety prevents open discussions, leading to unmet health needs. Current workplace wellness programs tend to be generic, failing to address gender-specific needs. - Education on menstrual health and related conditions is crucial in creating openness. Workplaces should offer flexible working arrangements and create comfortable work environments (e.g., proper seating, ventilation, and adequate lighting) to support women's well-being. - Personal leave laws do not typically account for the menstrual cycle; and reproductive leave policies differ from those in countries like Spain and South Korea. The proposal to introduce reproductive leave in Australia aims to better address women's health needs, highlighting the importance of considering both menstrual and reproductive health in workplace policies. - Misconceptions about periods and reproductive health often lead to discrimination in the workplace. Employees who use their personal leave for these issues may face scepticism, harassment, or even legal challenges.  - Employees are encouraged to join unions, which can turn individual issues into collective advocacy efforts. Legal and policy changes are needed to better protect women's health rights in the workplace.  - Balancing Work and Health: Women undergoing treatments like IVF often struggle to balance work and health due to the stigma and lack of support in the workplace. Employers should provide flexible working options and create a supportive environment. Thank you to our moderator Joanna Abraham (VWL President), and incredible panellists Jessica Heron (Maurice Blackburn), Imogen Szumer (Maurice Blackburn), Mona Emera (Emera Family Law) and Natalie Moore (Own Your Health Collective).   Photos captured by Melissa Hobbs photography IMAGE DESCRIPTION: (1) Event organiser and panellists smiling. (2) Panel mid discussion. (3) The audience listening to the panel.

On 17 July 2024, the Women in Public Sector subcommittee hosted an online panel event discussing the aftermath of last year’s changes to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, which imposed a positive duty on employers to eliminate unlawful behaviour relating to sexual discrimination and harassment at work. Our moderator Kiara Wagner was joined by Sharmilla Bargon (Senior Solicitor at Redfern Legal Centre), Melanie Schleiger (Special Advisor, Strategic Advocacy at Victoria Legal Aid), Arlou A. (Education Lead at Racial Justice Centre) and Dana Wintermantel (Lead Counsel at Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office). The panel explored the significance of this change, strategies for compliance, and the duty’s operation from an intersectional standpoint, including opportunities for improved recognition. The event was conducted online, which allowed an exciting opportunity to hear the views of NSW-based panel members and explore the effect of the changes beyond Victoria. A recording of the event is available for members to view on our website. Thank you to our panellists for taking the time to contribute to an insightful discussion, and thank you also to the Victorian Government Solicitor's Office for their support and sponsorship of this event. IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Two screenshots of the event, featuring the five speakers mid discussion.

Imagine if the milk options in the office fridge were the actions that employers could take to reduce the gender pay gap. What would happen if your employer just replaced the full cream obvious choice of unequal pay and left the rest? 🥛 This gender pay gap exists because more women are working in lower paid roles and more men are working in higher paid roles. Employers that only address equal pay will not fix the gender pay gap. So what should you do if the gender pay gap has spilled into your workplace? 🫧 Find out where the imbalance is with a gender pay gap analysis https://lnkd.in/gXxE3xwf 🫧 Learn how to take action following that analysis in one of WGEA’s gender pay gap masterclasses https://lnkd.in/gqpFpwtH 🫧 Add your employer data into WGEA’s Action Planning Tool: https://lnkd.in/guXASe-5 to quickly find the areas where you can make a real difference to gender equality 🫧 Stay accountable to your goals with #targetsetting. Learn more about the perks of target setting: https://bit.ly/4fvZvsm Remember you won’t keep employees happy with full cream milk alone. Only 55% of employers conducted a gender pay gap analysis last year. Was yours on of them? Join the #EqualPayDay cause: https://lnkd.in/gQJftVuA #itdoesntaddup #workplacegenderequality #genderpaygap #endthegenderpaygap

Congratulations to Fiona McKenzie for her recognition as a Leading Administrative & Public Law Junior Counsel by Doyle's Guide for Victoria 2024. Fiona McKenzie practises mainly in the area of administrative law. In recent years she has focussed on Aged Care work for Aged Care providers who are facing regulatory action by the Department of Health and Aged Care or the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency. View her full profile: https://lnkd.in/gNkxc6HD To engage with Fiona, contact our clerks via: 📞 03 9225 7777 ✉️ [email protected]

Registrations for the Warren Moot will be closing in a couple of days! Don’t miss out on an opportunity to develop your legal and advocacy skills, with the chance to appear before a three panel bench in the grand final! Register your team or individual interest at our website: vwl.asn.au/projects