The Young Indigenous Women's STEM Academy was honoured at the recent Women in Technology Awards, winning both the Public Sector Excellence and First Nations Change Maker categories.
The Academy, managed by CSIRO in partnership with CareerTrackers, is a groundbreaking initiative that empowers young Indigenous women to excel in STEM education and pursue careers in the field, and is the world's first program of its kind.
In addition to its most recent honours, the Academy also received the prestigious CSIRO's 2023 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Engagement Impact Excellence Medal.
The initiative strategically invests in a generation of Indigenous female leaders, role models, and innovators in technology.
The Academy provides tailored support from high school through various tertiary pathways, including university and into graduate employment. Its impact is profound, reaching participants, their families, and communities.
To date, it has had more than 650 total participants, exceeding its initial target of 600.
The Academy participants have achieving an impressive 96 per cent retention rate from Year 8 to Year 12, significantly higher than the national average of 63 per cent for Indigenous female students, and 92 per cent retention in the Northern Territory for Year 8 to 11, compared to the 33 per cent for Indigenous females in the Northern Territory.
The Academy program is delivered by predominantly Indigenous female staff, including those in leadership positions, and provides access to quality STEM opportunities for young women living in regional and remote communities.
This year's Women in Technology (WiT) Awards' theme, "We Lift Each Other Up," highlights the core value of Women in Technology.
WiT Chair, Iyari Cevallos, said: "When we lift each other up, we create a ripple effect of empowerment, leading to thriving workplaces and a brighter future for women in STEM."
The 2024 WiT Awards attracted over 300 nominations across 11 categories, showcasing the diversity of women leading advancements in biomedical research, technology, environmental science, health tech, and more.
The winners, announced a gala held at the Royal International Convention Centre in Meanjin/Brisbane, are:
Excellence in Research: Professor Moe Thandar Wynn
Emerging Science Star: Kate Kingston
Excellence in Industry Leadership: Dr Nathalie Piperidis
Future Focused Business Achiever: Felicity Furey
Consumer Strength Champion: Griffith University YourTrack Team
Raising the Regions: AIMS ReefWorks
Lifting Communities: Associate Professor Alka Kothari
First Nations Change Maker: Young Indigenous Women's STEM Academy
Emerging Tech Star: Dr Amena Khatun
Public Sector Excellence: Young Indigenous Women's STEM Academy
Employer of Change: GWI & GroundProbe (Joint Winners)
The Highly Commended recipients are:
Emerging Science Star: Dr Hana Starobova
Consumer Strength Champion: Associate Professor J Paige Little
Raising the Regions: Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership
Emerging Tech Star: Lauren Hanson
Employer of Change: Flight Centre Travel Group – Leisure PMED
The prestigious WiT Awards, based in Queensland, are among the largest and longest-running programs in Australia dedicated to recognising the achievements of women in STEM.
The 2024 WiT Awards, sponsored by QUT, PowerLink, Auto & General, and UQ, put a spotlight on the incredible impact women are making across the entire STEM spectrum — Biomedical research and advancement, technology development to support health and cutting-edge research solutions for agricultural industries. As well as groundbreaking advancements in medicine, environmental science and aero science.
Despite digital technology being one of the fastest-growing sectors in Australia, women currently make up about 28 per cent of the STEM-skilled workforce. They continue to earn less than their male counterparts and occupy fewer senior roles.
The goal of WiT and the WiT Awards is to advance support for women entering the STEM sector and to help them ascend to more senior roles.
