Women in Fire and Emergency Leadership Roles How can we improve the gender balance?

The research How can we increase the participation of women in fire and emergency leadership roles within DELWP and partner agencies? Independent research undertaken by Gender and Disaster Pod. All DELWP and NEO staff were encouraged to share their views, ideas and experiences, with 500+ staff participating. A summary report was released in Dec 15 and full report in January 16. Workshops conducted across the state in April-May 2016 seeking staff input. Insights gained are informing strategies and actions to improve gender diversity in fire leadership roles. DELWP is responsible for managing over 8 million hectares of public land for multiple values. Emergency management, in particular fire management is a critical activity for the Department. We deliver these with our public land delivery partners such as Parks Victoria as well as sector partners CFA, MFB etc Leverage off, inform and build upon the broader DELWP Gender Equity Action Plan and Emergency Management Sector activity.

Benefits of greater gender diversity More closely mirror our client base – the people of Victoria. A diverse workforce better reflects the community we serve. Improve service delivery and innovation via a diversity in thinking and perspectives. Have an inclusive and fair workplace in which we utilise the full potential of our people. Drive a change in perception of the traditionally undervalued ‘soft’ skills that women bring to positions of leadership.

Oct 14 – NEO Workforce Composition DELWP and our delivery partners have approximately 3,000 individuals with fire and emergency management roles- from field to the IMT. This includes permanent staff with dedicated fire roles Permanent staff that take on fire roles, separate form their substantive riles, as and when required Seasonally recruited project fire fighters As at June 2015- across NEO agencies it is about 60% male and 40% female There is a notable lack of women in leadership roles. Of 889 personnel holding roles that fall within Strategic, Incident and Team leadership, 175 (20%) are female and 714 (80%) are male. Only 6% of the 528 level 1, 2 Ops officer are female, no level 3 78% of GFFs are male 89% of IRIS operators are female and 85% of timekeepers are female Of approximately 618 seasonal PFFs in 2014/15, 523 (85%) were male and 95 (15%) were female. 2015/16 was the same proportion. Participation in roles is skewed, with heavy biases in traditionally feminine/masculine roles – e.g. non-field based roles for women, such as Finance, or Information Officer.

Participation in Research All staff across DELWP and Parks Victoria, Melbourne Water and VicForests were encouraged to participate in an online survey and volunteer for interviews or a focus group. Survey: Male 206 (43%) Female 274 (57%) Metropolitan 162 (34%), Regional 173 (36%), Rural 145 (30%) Good age profile too Majority of the survey respondents (84%) had a fire and emergency role

Outcomes

Outcomes 5%F 10%M didn’t agree the organisation would be improved with equal representation of men and women in fire and emergency leadership roles.

Outcomes 5%F 10%M didn’t agree the organisation would be improved with equal representation of men and women in fire and emergency leadership roles. 33%F 63%M didn’t believe there are barriers to women taking on fire and emergency leadership roles in the organisation.

Outcomes 5%F 10%M didn’t agree the organisation would be improved with equal representation of men and women in fire and emergency leadership roles. 33%F 63%M didn’t believe there are barriers to women taking on fire and emergency leadership roles in the organisation. 53%F 79%M didn’t agree discrimination on the basis of gender is a problem in the workplace.

Outcomes 5%F 10%M didn’t agree the organisation would be improved with equal representation of men and women in fire and emergency leadership roles. 33%F 63%M didn’t believe there are barriers to women taking on fire and emergency leadership roles in the organisation. 53%F 79%M didn’t agree discrimination on the basis of gender is a problem in the workplace. 73%F 51%M didn’t think gender stereotyping is addressed and countered by individual staff members in the workplace

Outcomes 5%F 10%M didn’t agree the organisation would be improved with equal representation of men and women in fire and emergency leadership roles. 33%F 63%M didn’t believe there are barriers to women taking on fire and emergency leadership roles in the organisation. 53%F 79%M didn’t agree discrimination on the basis of gender is a problem in the workplace. 51%F 73%M didn’t think gender stereotyping is addressed and countered by individual staff members in the workplace 74%F 16%M believed their future career prospects in fire and emergency roles are limited by their gender

Barriers Identified

Barriers Identified Women have fewer role models and sponsors , and less developed networks than men

Barriers Identified Women have fewer role models and sponsors , and less developed networks than men Women face barriers in accessing training and release for deployments

Barriers Identified Women have fewer role models and sponsors , and less developed networks than men Women face barriers in accessing training and release for deployments Women face higher career penalties for caring for families than men, feeling isolated during maternity leave and not supported on their return to transition back into a fire role

Barriers Identified Women have fewer role models and sponsors , and less developed networks than men Women face barriers in accessing training and release for deployments Women face higher career penalties for caring for families than men, feeling isolated during maternity leave and not supported on their return to transition back into a fire role ‘A boys’ club’, where men are seen to dominate meetings and stereotype the abilities of women

Barriers Identified Women have fewer role models and sponsors , and less developed networks than men Women face barriers in accessing training and release for deployments Women face higher career penalties for caring for families than men, feeling isolated during maternity leave and not supported on their return to transition back into a fire role ‘A boys’ club’, where men are seen to dominate meetings and stereotype the abilities of women There are simply more men in senior roles, leaving senior women isolated and often overlooked

Recommendations Establish a structured sponsor system for women Monitor the approval of training and release to attend fires on deployment Change the culture from a ‘boys’ club’ Recruit a critical mass of women Improve the quality and accessibility of leadership training for women Improve support for family/ work balance for women and men The report made a number of recommendations which are being considered as part of the development of our action plan

Recommendations Establish a structured sponsor system for women Monitor the approval of training and release to attend fires on deployment Change the culture from a ‘boys’ club’ Recruit a critical mass of women Improve the quality and accessibility of leadership training for women Improve support for family/ work balance for women and men The report made a number of recommendations which are being considered as part of the development of our action plan

Recommendations Change the culture from a ‘boys’ club’ Establish a structured sponsor system for women Monitor the approval of training and release to attend fires on deployment Change the culture from a ‘boys’ club’ Recruit a critical mass of women Improve the quality and accessibility of leadership training for women Improve support for family/ work balance for women and men The report made a number of recommendations which are being considered as part of the development of our action plan

Recommendations Recruit a critical mass of women Establish a structured sponsor system for women Monitor the approval of training and release to attend fires on deployment Change the culture from a ‘boys’ club’ Recruit a critical mass of women Improve the quality and accessibility of leadership training for women Improve support for family/ work balance for women and men The report made a number of recommendations which are being considered as part of the development of our action plan

Recommendations Establish a structured sponsor system for women Monitor the approval of training and release to attend fires on deployment Change the culture from a ‘boys’ club’ Recruit a critical mass of women Improve the quality and accessibility of leadership training for women Improve support for family/ work balance for women and men The report made a number of recommendations which are being considered as part of the development of our action plan

Recommendations Establish a structured sponsor system for women Monitor the approval of training and release to attend fires on deployment Change the culture from a ‘boys’ club’ Recruit a critical mass of women Improve the quality and accessibility of leadership training for women Improve support for family/ work balance for women and men The report made a number of recommendations which are being considered as part of the development of our action plan

Workshops with staff Workshops conducted across the state in April-May 2016 seeking staff input. Over 230 staff participated Workshops with DELWP and partner agency employees were held in April and May this year, to share the outcomes of the research and assist in identifying short and long term strategies which aim to improve gender equity in fire and emergency roles. Ten workshops were held across the state with over 230 people participating. As part of the workshops, participants were asked to identify the key messages they wished to communicate to senior management. Overwhelmingly staff felt that gender equity should not be considered a ‘fad’, that it should be the norm of what we do. It was remarked that we have been having this conversation for a long time now and it’s time to get ‘fair dinkum’ and take tangible action, noting that small actions can make a big difference.

Workshops with staff Workshops conducted across the state in April-May 2016 seeking staff input. Over 230 staff participated The strongest message was don’t let this be a fad! Workshops with DELWP and partner agency employees were held in April and May this year, to share the outcomes of the research and assist in identifying short and long term strategies which aim to improve gender equity in fire and emergency roles. Ten workshops were held across the state with over 230 people participating. As part of the workshops, participants were asked to identify the key messages they wished to communicate to senior management. Overwhelmingly staff felt that gender equity should not be considered a ‘fad’, that it should be the norm of what we do. It was remarked that we have been having this conversation for a long time now and it’s time to get ‘fair dinkum’ and take tangible action, noting that small actions can make a big difference.

What next? Working Group established to oversee development of three year Action Plan in six key areas. Improving our Systems Leadership and Advocacy Develop’t and Support Flexibility First Storytelling Governance and Measurem’t Over 43 actions identified in Draft Action Plan Actions already progressing include greater focus on diversity in Project Firefighter recruitment campaign.