Did you know?
The legislation requires listed companies in all 27 EU member states to have women take up at least 40 per cent of non-executive board seats or 33 per cent of all board director roles by mid-2026.
The Women on Boards” directive applies to companies with at least 250 employees.
It aims to introduce transparent recruitment procedures in companies, so that at least 40 per cent of non-executive director posts, or 33 per cent of executive and non-executive roles combined, are occupied by the under-represented sex – generally women. Where candidates are equally qualified for a post, priority should go to the candidate of the under-represented sex. Member states in The European Union will need to transpose the directive into their own national legislation over the next two years.
However, we need to be wary that algorithms used in human resources systems which are built on historical data reflecting past bias against women in the workplace, and tend to disadvantage women throughout their careers. According to the study, published on International Women’s Day in a joint collaboration between UNESCO, the OECD and the Inter-American Development Bank., Artificial intelligence is enforcing existing gender biases when it comes to recruitment.
Which brings us around to the recurring conversation around the need for more women in technology and in particular, in Digital Health.
Read the Euronews article >>
See how Australia is tracking
View the Workplace Gender Equity Agency‘s Gender equality workplace statistics at a glance 2022 on the Workplace.
(Photo credit – Euronews)
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is the Immediate Past President of the AFMW (2020-2023), former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020) and current AFMW National Coordinator (2024-2026). She is a full time clinician who also holds positions on several not for profit organisations, driven by her passion for bridging gaps across the health sector. She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate and government advisor. Magda is member of The Australian Health Team contributing monthly articles.
Magdalena was awarded a lifetime membership of the RACGP for her contributions which include past chair of Women in General Practice, longstanding contribution to the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, the RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is regularly invited to comment on primary care research though mainstream and medical media and contributes articles on various health issues through newsGP and other publications.
Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews. She is author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter, and reviewer of the RACGP White book
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner, she undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator with the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, which develops education tools to assist the primary care sector identify, respond to and manage family violence . Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council. In 2022. she was award the AMA (Vic) Patrick Pritzwald-Steggman Award 2022, which celebrates a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of their colleagues and the community and was listed as Women’s Agenda 2022 finalist for Emerging Leader in Health.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) in 2021. In 2023, A/Professor Simonis was included on the King’s COVID-19 Champion’s list and was also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health.
