The ARA held its Women in Rail Committee meeting last week and discussed the results of the ARA Gender Diversity Data Report 2024, and the early findings from the Diversity Partners research.
The Diversity Partners research will enable a better understanding of the culture and barriers to attracting and retaining and promoting women in rail, best practice initiatives to address these barriers and outline recommendations for organisations and industry.
The Committee also received briefings from recent participants in the Male Allies program, Women Rising program and Chief Executive Women program, highlighting the importance of training to support inclusion in the workplace.
The ARA has sponsored two men to participate in Women Rising’s Male Allies program as part the ARA Women in Rail Strategy 2023-2026 to support the attraction and retention of women in the industry.
We are encouraging rail organisations to consider enrolling their male employees in the program, which is on again in August. The Male Allies program is a virtual program that covers:
- Strategies to become a more effective ally in supporting gender equity in the workplace.
- Identifying and addressing the challenges that women face in the workplace, such as gender norms, double bind, and likability penalty.
- Understanding the current landscape for women in the workplace.
- Developing an awareness of and strategies to manage gender bias.
- Learning effective techniques to mentor and sponsor women.
- Enhancing your leadership skills through exploring topics such as leadership shadow and more.
For more information, contact ARA General Manager – Supply Chain and Diversity, Natalie Currey.