Work environments have become so "woke" to the working parent that it is increasingly becoming a divisive issue to anyone without children, especially those who are childless not by choice.
Companies need to update their policies and all employees need to know that sharing their newborn baby photo at the onset of an online meeting just doesn't meet Woke criteria.
The panel will discuss ways to raise awareness of how oblivious the pronatalist workplace agenda is in regards to the childless community, what can we do about it and how we respond when things are far from woke. Panellist details below.
DATE: Thursday 15th September
TIME: 9.00amBST Find your time zone here
REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR HERE
Please note: This webinar will be recorded and available to view on the website, if you are unable to attend it live. You do not need to register to watch the replay.
Penny Rabarts - Australia
Penny was born with a curiosity for life and a sense of adventure which can take her anywhere, from her homeland in New Zealand to the UK and now residing in Melbourne, Australia. She has lived and travelled the world, experiencing everything and more along the way, there is still a bucketlist though.
A passionate supporter of humans who have not had children, Penny cares for a community of women (Childless & Childfree Women in Australia and NZ | Facebook) via facebook, blogs at The Childless Wanderer and writes articles to spread understanding of the community across a number of publications. She is an active member of a Melbourne group of women without children who like to get together, celebrate life and support each other. In her spare time Penny works in the Victorian Public Service, enjoys camping, kayaking, volunteering on local community projects and making preserves with fruit from her backyard.
Penny is a single woman in her 40’s who doesn’t have children.
Liz Campbell - Australia
Liz was born and raised in South-East Asia to parents of South Asian origin and sent to Australia as a teenager to complete her education. Within multiple layers of intersectionality, Liz was raised with cultural expectations that marriage and kids by 30 was an assumption that was never questioned. Liz chose to not succumb to cultural marriage pressure and spent her 30s travelling the world and furthering her education.
In her 40s, Liz was lucky enough to meet her husband but also experienced the heartbreak of infertility and being unable to become a mother (in conventional societal terms).
Liz has spent the past four years raising awareness of moving forward and thriving in life (esp after the infertility rollercoaster ends) by #RedefiningmyPlanA by sharing her story to support others who are CNBC.
Earlier this year, Liz was part of a first-ever Australian panel hosted by the Diversity Council of Australia (DCA) to talk about Childlessness in the Workplace and contributed to a DCA blog on different perspectives on Mother's Day
Having worked in the Victorian Public Service (VPS) for the past 18 years, Liz is proud to contribute to creating good public outcomes for her fellow Victorians. Liz is also involved in the VPS Women of Colour network to increase and improve diversity in the VPS, including being a mentor.
Outside of work, Liz loves spending time with her husband and 2 yellow Labrador furbabies, cooking a range of cuisines, reading, travel and music.