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Pru Goward to give public lecture at UNE

August 10, 2006

Pru Goward.jpg
The Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Pru Goward, will give a public lecture at The University of New England next week. Her lecture, while focusing on sex discrimination laws as they relate to university communities, will be of interest to members of the general public.

“It is very important that people in the UNE community – and in the broader Armidale community – take advantage of this opportunity to hear Pru Goward,” said UNE’s Senior Equity Officer, Lyn Tucker. “We do a lot of work to ensure that sex-based harassment and discrimination are eliminated from the University environment. This is a chance to get an update on the legislation and to hear some of the initiatives that the Commissioner has been involved with in recent years.”

The lecture will be from 2 pm to 3 pm in UNE’s Paul Barrett Lecture Theatre (Psychology building S6) on Tuesday 15 August. It will be free to interested members of the public.

“Pru Goward has done a lot of work to combat violence against women and to eliminate discrimination in the workplace,” Ms Tucker said. “She has also addressed the increasingly recognised need for workplace flexibility and work / life balance.”

“It is a wonderful opportunity for the general public to hear the Sex Discrimination Commissioner,” she continued. “Ms Goward's visit to Armidale will include other locations, including schools and business women’s groups. However, the lecture at UNE will be open and of relevance to a broad cross-section of the public. It’s always great to see people from outside the region coming to UNE and Armidale, bringing us up to date with the latest changes and thinking. The ‘tyranny of distance’ can be a challenge when striving to keep abreast of issues like the initiatives and legislation advocated by the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner.”

Ms Tucker pointed out that UNE is recognized as an “Employer of Choice for Women” by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency. “We have maintained that status since 2002,” she said. “The Commissioner's visit is another means of keeping us up to date, and seeing what else we can do in the way of identifying any barriers that may prevent women from progressing in the workplace.”

Pru Goward (pictured here) became federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner in July 2001. Part of her role as Commissioner involves educational activities to promote laws that aim to reduce barriers – particularly within the workplace .

In 2004 she was nominated by The Australian newspaper as one of the 40 most influential Australians, and the Financial Review voted her one of Australia’s most important influencers of industrial relations and culture. Her speeches have been reproduced in published collections, and in 2001 she was awarded a Centenary Medal for her services to journalism and women’s rights.

For more information, contact Lyn Tucker on (02) 6773 3242.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at August 10, 2006 01:48 PM