12pm AEST, Wed 1 May
Free webinar, registration essential
The Victorian Women’s Trust proudly presents an expert discussion on the rise of sexism and misogyny in Australian schools.
Drawing on research from Monash University, our panel will illustrate the challenges teachers are forced to regularly grapple with — classrooms disrupted with anti-women rhetoric; sexist attitudes and behaviour from students strongly influenced by figures like Andrew Tate; and a lack of real support for educators in crisis. For some, the situation has become dire, leading female teachers to leave the profession altogether.
As a society, how should we be responding to sexism and misogyny in our schools? What’s needed to shift from toxic to healthy masculinities?
Join experts Anna Krien (journalist and author of Night Games: Sex, Power & Sport) and Dr Stephanie Wescott (feminist researcher and lecturer, Monash University) for an in-depth look at the issues facing educators today.
Moderated by Mary Crooks AO (Executive Director, Victorian Women’s Trust) this webinar will provide an insight into the prevalence and impact of sexism on school culture, as well as strategies for overcoming ‘manfluencers’ that will benefit teachers and students alike.
- Panel discussion to be followed by a short Q&A.
- This is a free event — registration essential.
- All registrants will be provided with a link to the webinar recording after the event.
Speakers
Anna Krien, Journalist and author
Dr Stephanie Wescott, Feminist researcher and lecturer, Monash University
Dr Stephanie Wescott is a feminist researcher and lecturer in humanities and social sciences in the Faculty of Education’s School of Education, Culture and Society. Using a feminist lens, her research examines how education practice and policy intersects with and is influenced by current socio-political conditions, and she is particularly interested in post-truth and its relationship to knowledge and expertise in education.
Moderator: Mary Crooks AO, Executive Director·Victorian Women’s Trust
After an extensive public policy career, Mary became the Executive Director of the Victorian Women’s Trust in 1996. She has designed and led ground-breaking community engagement initiatives, such as the Purple Sage Project and Our Watermark Australia. In June 2012, Mary was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia, for her distinguished services to public policy and advocacy for the advancement of women. In 2016, Mary won the Public Policy category as part of the AFR/Westpac’s 100 Women of Influence for her years of work in shaping public policy in Australia.
Anna Krien Anna Krien is an award-winning Melbourne-based journalist, essayist, fiction writer and poet. Her book Night Games: Sex, Power & Sport, won the 2014 William Hill Sports Book of the Year in the UK, and is being developed into a television mini-series. Other publications include Into the Woods: The Battle for Tasmania’s Forests, Booze Territory, Quarterly Essay 66: The Long Goodbye: Coal, Coral and Australia’s Climate Deadlock and Quarterly Essay 45 Us and Them: On the Importance of Animals. Anna’s debut novel Act of Grace was published in October 2019 and shortlisted for the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards.