Women mean business

Industry has changed

PROFESSOR Robin Stonecash has seen the economics world transform from a male-dominated industry to a more representative workplace, but there’s still a long way to go.

The Dean and Head of the School of Business and Tourism at Southern Cross University remembers a time when business was unfamiliar territory for women.

“When I was a young lecturer I was standing at the photocopier one evening before a class the next morning, when an older man threw me a stack of papers,” Prof Stonecash said.

“He said ‘I need this at my desk in the morning’. I said ‘You can have the photocopier after I’m done with it’. He said ‘Aren’t you a secretary?’ I said ‘No, I have a PhD in economics’.

“I was watching the news last night and looking at all of the economic commentators and three or four of them were women. There were no female economists on the TV 30 years ago.

“I think things have improved enormously. We make great strides but we still have a long way to go. One way to help that along is to showcase what women do and what they’re capable of.”

Prof Stonecash is one of five women on the judging panel for Harvey Norman Gold Coast Women of The Year.

The campaign, led by the Bulletin, asks people to nominate local women achieving great things in the community for the chance to be crowned the winner of one of eight categories at a gala event on May 29.

One of the prizes will include a one-on-one mentoring session with Prof Stonecash.

“I’ve been offered up as the prize for a mentoring opportunity with me,” she said.

“I’m an economics lecturer and for the past 20 years I’ve been helping women improve their capabilities and confidence.

“Being able to help mentor them and help them understand they can achieve is something I really enjoy.

“I’m so looking forward to it.”