This is the transcript of the keynote address by President of the Australian Academy of Science, Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC, at the Women of Colour in STEM Awards 2025. It was delivered on 6 October 2025 at the event in Melbourne, hosted by STEM Sisters.
Check against delivery.
Good evening.
I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet, the Wurundjeri peoples.
I acknowledge and pay respects to the Traditional Owners and Elders, past and present, of all the lands on which the Academy operates, and its Fellows live and work.
Good evening distinguished guests from across the STEM sector, including friends and collaborators of the Academy.
It is a privilege to be part of a night dedicated to celebrating diversity, excellence and the future of STEM.
When we talk about diversity in science, we often discuss gender gaps, racial disparities, geographic or socioeconomic barriers as separate issues. But the reality is far more complex.
Many in this room know better than most that a woman from a culturally and linguistically diverse background doesn't experience cultural barriers and gender discrimination as separate phenomena.
They are experienced as interconnected forces that compound to create significant barriers to participation and progression in STEM.
Science is fundamentally about understanding our world through diverse perspectives and rigorous inquiry.
And we need all of the available talent to advance our sector.
But when we systematically exclude voices and experiences, we create blind spots that weaken our research and limit our ability to solve complex global challenges.
The data from the government's STEM Equity Monitor is clear: Australia's current STEM workforce does not reflect Australian society.
The data show women, people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, LGBTQI, and those who have a disability, are under-represented in STEM.
Whilst the number of women in STEM occupations has increased over the last decade, women still only represent 15 per cent of the total STEM-qualified workforce in 2024.
Women represent just 22 per cent of people from non-English speaking backgrounds in STEM-qualified occupations.
Women who are born in a country other than Australia have even less representation.
It is important to understand the data, but intersectionality is not just about documenting disparities. It is about understanding their root causes and systemic nature.
And addressing them.
When a young person sees no one in a STEM leadership position who looks like them, shares their background, or understands their lived experience, the message is clear: this is not your space.
When research questions consistently ignore the needs and perspectives of members of our communities, we perpetuate cycles of exclusion that diminish the quality and relevance of our work.
But just imagine what we could achieve as a nation with more diversity and inclusion in our STEM workforce and beyond?
Building a more diverse and inclusive workforce, regardless of size and industry, must be part of the national discussion as we reflect on how to boost Australia's productivity and innovation.
I repeat, we need all of the available talent to advance our sector.
That's because we are in a global race for talent, with nations around the world in competition to attract the best minds.
Recently, the Academy released a landmark report - Australian Science, Australia's Future: Science 2035 - that examines our science capability and workforce requirements over the next ten years./p>
The report highlighted gaps across the STEM workforce, that if not filled, will dramatically hinder our capacity to meet the challenges of our future.
The report found the current pipeline and study choices of students are not aligned with the needs of our future workforce. It also highlighted declining STEM participation and teacher shortages.
Again, we cannot afford to exclude any segment of our population from our STEM workforce.
Organisations that commit to inclusive hiring practices, mentorship programs, and partnerships with diverse institutions are not just doing good, it's also the clever thing to do.
They're accessing talent pools that have been historically overlooked and gaining competitive advantages through diverse perspectives.
It has been three years since the Australian Government asked an independent panel to find ways to increase diversity in STEM, known as the Pathway to Diversity in STEM review.
The findings from the review tell a particularly stark story when we look at intersectionality in practice.
According to the review, First Nations women and girls show significantly lower confidence and interest in STEM, with just 10 per cent expressing interest compared to 21 per cent of non-First Nations girls.
Those from lower socioeconomic and rural and remote areas also demonstrate reduced interest and confidence.
These aren't just statistics.
The numbers represent brilliant minds whose personal callings and contributions to human knowledge may never be realised.
The review clearly articulates what many of us have long understood. Up until now, efforts to promote diversity in STEM have largely concentrated on improving the underrepresentation of women. This does not go nearly far enough.
The review calls for the government to focus on a more expansive and systematic approach to cultivating talent and promoting excellence across all dimensions of diversity.
Leadership, governance, cultural transformation and inclusive workplace environments have been identified as important priorities for improving diversity in the STEM sector.
The Academy welcomed the panel's recommendation to develop a whole-of-government, long-term strategy to increase diversity and inclusion in STEM.
But the recommendations from the review were published in February 2024 and we are yet to see a response from the government, other than to say they are approaching the review's findings with a focus on long-term impact.
Well, I say it's time to get cracking. The Academy is calling on the government to accept and implement the review's findings. Only then will it demonstrate it is serious about building a diverse STEM workforce that is so critical to building Australia's future.
I would like to reflect on how far we've come in understanding intersectionality in Australia, which gives me hope for the future.
The Australian Academy of Science is proud to have been a co-founder of Science in Australia Gender Equity, otherwise known as SAGE, in partnership with the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
When SAGE was launched ten years ago, most people had no idea what intersectionality even meant.
Now, it stands as one of the core principles in SAGE's Athena Swan framework, with comprehensive resources helping institutions understand and address these complex challenges.
This evolution in our national conversation gives me great hope for what we can achieve.
Across our institutions, innovative programs are demonstrating what's possible when we embrace intersectional approaches to inclusion in STEM.
SAGE's comprehensive Intersectionality Resource Guide provides a practical framework for institutions to understand and address these complex challenges.
The Academy's own diversity and inclusion initiatives demonstrate our commitment to leading by example.
Our consultation for the Women in STEM Decadal Plan, published in 2019, revealed important insights about addressing intersectionality.
Stakeholders emphasised the need to "expand the collection of demographic data undertaken by funding agencies to enable an understanding of intersectionality and how it impacts women in STEM research".
This evidence-based approach is crucial for developing effective interventions.
The path forward demands sustained investment in evidence-informed programs and policies that support intersectional inclusion.
This is more than quick fixes or temporary initiatives.
We must continue to make fundamental changes to how we structure our institutions and conduct our work.
I understand first hand how these challenges compound.
Growing up in India, I was taught 'don't speak about yourself'.
I was taught that it is for the rest of the world to judge how good or bad you are.
That is challenging when to succeed you must promote your own research.
These cultural challenges are compounded by the structural aspects of STEM that can create unwelcoming environments.
This includes confronting biases in peer review processes, addressing harassment and discrimination when it occurs, and creating professional development opportunities that help all members of our community develop inclusive leadership skills.
The pathway of my own STEM career has not always been easy, but the support of allies and mentors who recognised potential beyond surface characteristics made a huge difference to me and my career.
Their belief in my capabilities opened doors that might otherwise have remained closed.
This personal experience reinforces my conviction that we must create pathways for all talented individuals, regardless of their background.
The Academy that I lead celebrates and embraces diversity and inclusion in all its forms and as an organisation we aim to embed diversity and inclusion in everything we do.
The Academy has a crucial role to play as we embed intersectionality into everything we do, and as we build more inclusive systems.
We must lead by example in our own practices and policies.
We must use our platform to amplify voices that have been historically marginalised.
We must direct resources toward initiatives that support intersectional inclusion.
And we must hold ourselves accountable for progress, measuring our success not just in terms of scientific discoveries, but in terms of who gets to participate in making those discoveries.
We must work together to ensure that every Australian is able to access the transformational opportunities STEM offers and be able to thrive and contribute to Australia's STEM sector.
When we embrace intersectionality in STEM, we not only make our fields more equitable - we make them excellent.
We expand the boundaries of what's possible.
We ensure that science serves all of Australia, not just a privileged few.
The future of Australian science depends on our ability to create truly inclusive and intersectional communities of discovery.
Let us commit ourselves to this work with the same rigor, creativity, and persistence that we bring to our research.
Let us build a scientific enterprise that reflects our highest values and our greatest aspirations.
Together, we can create a future where every brilliant mind has the opportunity to contribute to human knowledge.
Finally, I would like to congratulate and acknowledge all the finalists here tonight and commend Dr Ruwangi Fernando and the awards team for this fantastic initiative.
Thank you.
