The government wants more women in technology — except when it doesn’t.
On Tuesday, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources released a statement responding to the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review, outlining its commitment to building “a thriving, skilled and diverse STEM workforce for the future”.
Sally-Ann Williams, who chaired the review, welcomed the statement on LinkedIn, calling it a “critical first step” in driving systemic and cultural change.
But she also warned that the government’s response fails to address the structural and cultural coordination required for long-term success, noting the absence of a national strategy and dedicated advisory council to ensure accountability and consistency across programs.
“The most critical gap remains the lack of commitment to an overarching, whole-of-government long-term strategy,” she wrote. Without it, she said, new and existing programs risk remaining fragmented, diluting their impact and failing to address intersectionality — the overlapping barriers faced by diverse groups.
