Yesterday Australia's Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, announced the appointment of Susan Keifel as chief justice of Australia's high court (replacing retiring Robert French). Keifel will be the first woman to hold this position which will mark a milestone in Australia's constitutional history.
I love seeing women succeed in their careers, expanding the minds and possibilities of young girls everywhere. I think back to when I was just a girl and I can feel the constraint of my own dreams. See without seeing people who resemble you, whether that be gender or race, its easy for your subconscious to scrub things out. I don't recall thinking I couldn't do something because I was a girl, I just didn't think at all about having a thriving career fullstop. I was blessed with a mother who cared and loved so deeply but she only knew being a stay at home mum, as was most of her friends, that was my exposure. Yes it is a win that Susan Keifel has been appointed but she was the most skilled for the role and had already had a few 'first woman' roles prior to reaching the position she now holds. She was simply the best candidate. Keifel holds a similar view as when PM Turnbull called and asked "How she felt about breaking the glass ceiling" she responded noting it was more 'natural progression'. Most large organisations today have diversity programs, equal opportunity policies ensuring women are present on boards and in positions of senior leadership, I think society has recognised the benefit's of diversity and shun those that don't follow. The challenge companies are faced with is the lack of female candidates. Its almost impossible to get a 50/50 split of applicants so the likeliness of hiring a man over a women continues. This I believe is where the significance of Susan Keifels position really sits. We need more women to think more openly about what is possible, and put themselves on paths to be the most suitable candidates. We need organisations to be able to accommodate careers and parenting as this is society's issue not just a female issue. We need to be able to get girls to believe in a bright future, get the skills and then stay in business while families are being grown. When we look at the gender balance at university's its encouraging news with the national average being 55.5% female, with Education and Health bringing in the largest numbers respectively. The next challenge is moving past entry and mid tier positions and keeping women 'naturally progressing' post children. When discussing her working life Keifel remarks "I have been very fortunate to have found my path very early in life and then to be able to follow it and be supported and encouraged at every step" Susan Keifel was Queensland's first female queen's counsel in 1987 and the first women to get a seat on the state's supreme court. Photo: AAP/Andrew Sheargold
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