Catherine Fox will be in conversation with Michelle Ryan on her new book Breaking the Boss Bias How to get more women into leadership.

Despite the surge of women into university, jobs and sitting in federal parliament, why are men still overwhelmingly running the show? Fewer women are running governments, and the small proportion who make it as CEO has barely budged. The major culprit is right under our noses. Entrenched gender bias about who should be the boss means leadership is mainly seen as a masculine endeavour. And no matter how well qualified and experienced, women continue to be underestimated and face an obstacle course of sexism to get to the decision-making table.

In Breaking the Boss Bias, Catherine Fox sounds the alarm. She argues that toxic sexism woven through processes, beliefs, management, education and leadership norms is keeping privileged men in power, making decisions for us all. It’s time for a new way to lead and to unlock the talent being wasted from boss bias.

‘Catherine cuts through the crippling stereotypes, exposes backlash and bias, delivers disruption and serves up seven steps for real change. She has proven to be Australia’s corporate gender equality whisperer.’ – Natasha Stott Despoja AO

Catherine Fox AM is a leading commentator on women and the workforce, an award-winning journalist, author and presenter. During a long career with the Financial Review, she edited several sections of the newspaper, and wrote the Corporate Woman column; and she has published six books, including “Stop Fixing Women” which along with her journalism was awarded the 2017 Walkley Award for Women’s Leadership in Media. She has been a gender equality advisor to the Australian Defence Force, sits on the Australians Investing in Women board, and the Sydney Women’s Fund advisory council. In 2022 she was awarded an AM for significant service to journalism, gender equality and diversity.

Professor Michelle Ryan is a world-renowned gender equality expert, Professor of Social and Organisational Psychology, and the inaugural Director of the Global Institute for Women's Leadership (GIWL) at The Australian National University.

The vote of those will be given by award winning journalist and broadcaster Virginia Haussegger AM

This event is in association with Harry Hartog Bookshop. Books will be available for purchase. Pre-event book signings will be available from 5.30pm and again after the event.

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A podcast will be made available after the event.

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