The Academy is delighted to welcome Nokia as the 40th Champion of the Women in STEM Decadal Plan. The national plan aims to establish a thriving STEM-skilled workforce that is fit for the future, globally recognised, powered by a diverse and gender-balanced pipeline, and supported by an inclusive and respectful workplace culture.
The Women in STEM Decadal Plan Champions initiative was launched in August 2019, encouraging all organisations in the STEM ecosystem to submit responses aligning their gender equity activities with the six opportunities outlined in the Women in STEM Decadal Plan. Champions' responses are publicly available on the STEM Women website.
As a leading global telecommunications and technology company, Nokia's response highlights goals and strategies across all six opportunity areas, with a specific focus on leadership and visibility through their StrongHer program, and a commitment to a target of 30 per cent women employed in Oceania by 2026.
Nokia joins a growing network of STEM organisations - large and small - across Australia in support of the plan, spanning all parts of the ecosystem: academia and research, industry, small-medium enterprises, institutions and the public sector.
In welcoming Nokia to the network of Champions, Anna-Maria Arabia said "As a global brand known to many, Nokia has shown the way as an exemplar in realising the benefits of transformative commitment to STEM research and development. We are so thrilled that this worldwide company, so experienced in seeking new futures, has chosen to continue its impactful work by joining with other Champions to proactively create new futures for women in STEM."
Anna Perrin, Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand for Nokia said "Globally Nokia recognises the need for action to drive up inclusivity and diversity within STEM industries, making strong public commitments to improve our female participation rates. I'm so proud to see Nokia Australia follow this lead and join the Australian Academy of Science's Decadal Champion community, committing to the real and measurable changes outlined in the Decadal Plan."
While there has been positive action since the launch of the plan in 2019, now is not the time to lose momentum given the impact of COVID-19 on women in STEM. Substantial work is required to create systemic change across the STEM sector. A recent report from the Academy shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing gender inequity in the STEM workforce across the Asia-Pacific region.
report's key findings.
The Academy continues to welcome new Champion responses and encourages all STEM organisations to share their actions and learnings to show their support for a fair and equitable STEM sector.
