Science in Australia Gender Equity

The George Institute earns SAGE Cygnet Award for flexible parental and carer policies

The George Institute for Global Health has earned its first prestigious SAGE Cygnet Award, recognising work by the organisation’s Australian office to create a flexible workplace for parents and carers.

Cygnet Awards are conferred by Science and Gender Equity Australia (SAGE) on  organisations that implement policies and practices to remove barriers to equitable workplace participation, and build upon the foundations for transformational change recognised by the Athena SWAN Bronze accreditation The George achieved in 2019.

Dr Anna Palagyi, Chair of Chair of the Institute’s Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team, said, “I would like to thank and congratulate everyone on the team who contributed to this fantastic achievement. We’re proud that our efforts to develop and implement more flexible policies have been recognised, as we strive to meet the real-life needs of valued employees who have parenting or caring roles.”

The self-assessment team reviewed The George’s existing policies, conducted focus groups with staff, and analysed feedback from its annual Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging employee survey to understand limitations of existing leave policies. The results informed new commitments for parents and carers on staff, including increased Paid Parental Leave of up to 18 weeks (with superannuation) and an updated Global Working Hours Policy. 

As part of the Award pathway, these commitments will be evaluated and reviewed over time to ensure they continue to foster a best practice workplace for parents and carers. Initial impact data highlighted staff positivity around the changes to policy, return to work support and resources, and flexible working arrangements to balance caring responsibilities.

“Optimising our work practices and support structures for team members who have caring responsibilities – whether for children, grand-children, older relatives, friends or family – is essential for the overall wellbeing, productivity, satisfaction and engagement of our staff,” said Dr Palagyi. “These structural changes have created a better framework to support workplace flexibility and work-life balance.”

A Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) initiative, Athena SWAN is an accreditation program recognised as the only internationally recognised framework for workplace gender equity, diversity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) sectors.

Leads

Priorities of Pacific Island countries

Submission to inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Island countries and the Pacific region

The George Institute for Global Health is pleased to provide a submission in response to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, through the Foreign Affairs and Aid Subcommittee (the Committee) inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Island countries and the Pacific region.

With input based on our current work with partners in the region, our response highlights key health priorities for Pacific Island countries and communities.

Our submission focuses on achievable approaches to lowering preventable illness. 

People in the Pacific Island region are over represented in the global tally of deaths by preventable illness, non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The WHO Western Pacific Region, which includes 27 nations including the Pacific Island nations, recorded one quarter of total global deaths from NCDs. The four major NCDs–cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes–accounted for 12 million deaths in this region in 2019. Almost two thirds of deaths are linked to tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and air pollution.

High rates of NCDs have flow-on social and economic impacts. By lowering rates of NCDs, people will live more secure, more productive lives.

The summary of our recommendations is below. For full details please refer to the attachment.

Key recommendations

1. Leadership 

We urge Australia to: 

  • Continue to advocate for the expansion of Universal Health Care, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and the integration of the prevention and treatment of NCDs into primary care systems. 
  • Advocate for and build partnerships to increase the funding available for NCDs in low- and middle-income countries to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. 
  • Continue to encourage capacity building of people and communities with lived experience in designing and implementing aid programs. 
  • Prioritise programs that reduce out-of-pocket expenses for people with NCDs, to maximise the social and economic co-benefits. Promote the expertise, knowledge and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
  • Islander peoples and communities in connecting with Indigenous peoples and communities of the Pacific. 
  • Promote and support an integrated, life-course approach to addressing women’s health, embedding the prevention and management of NCDs into maternal and reproductive health programs to identify women at risk and reduce premature deaths. 
  • Prioritise programs that address commercial determinants of health, including the reducing tobacco use, alcohol consumption, unhealthy food consumption and inadequate physical activity. 

2. Increased investment 

Australia’s overseas development assistance is a vital tool to support countries in our region to achieve their development goals and contribute to the achievement of the global Sustainable Development Goals. We urge the Australian Government to: 

  • Increase its investment in health in Pacific Countries to prioritise programs that address NCDs and have social and economic co-benefits. 
  • Leverage ODA to drive greater private and philanthropic investment in NCDs in the region. 

3. Share knowledge and expertise 

Building knowledge and expertise within Pacific Island nations is essential to building a sustainable health workforce and developing local solutions to health and development challenges. We urge the Australian Government to: 

  • Expand its knowledge exchange and education programs.
  • Participate in knowledge exchange between First Nations Australians and Indigenous peoples of the Pacific. 
  • Partner with Pacific nations to boost the number of trained health workers and strengthen local training institutions.

Leads

Policy Papers - 01/07/2024

Meet Associate Professor Cheryl Carcel, Head of the Brain Health Program in Australia

Cheryl Carcel began her career by studying medicine in the Philippines just over a decade ago. She joined The George Institute’s Sydney office as a study coordinator for the ENCHANTED stroke trial after being introduce to stroke specialist, Professor Craig Anderson. A practising neurologist, Cheryl now heads up the Institute’s brain research program in Australia, leading a team she calls ‘super researchers’.

Subscribe to