CDU’s School of Law and Business lecturer Sue Bandias together with Professor Leoni Warne from the Defense Science and Technology Organisation in Canberra recently received funding from the Australian Computer Society to conduct a national investigation into gender equity issues in the workplace.
Designed and developed by the two researchers, the survey aims to explore the experiences of women who work in the information communication technology (ICT) sector.
Despite the relatively low numbers of female ICT workers in the Northern Territory the project has a strong NT influence. Not only is Sue the project coordinator but an NT firm won the tender to create the online survey and conduct an analysis of the results.
With an incentive of chocolates and flowers to the first 25 and last 10 respondents, within two weeks of the survey going “live” the response rate has exceeded expectations.
Responses have been received from every state and territory, from overseas, from urban, rural and remote regions in Australia, and from all age groups.
The data is yet to be analysed, but the response rate, the researchers believe, is indicative that women working within the ICT area want to be heard and appreciated.