Keynote speakers - Nerida Wilson, Professor Julie Mills, Gina Archer.

Day 1 (1 October 2008) -  Nerida Wilson

Bio

Nerida is a Queensland Barrister practising in Cairns. Nerida was ‘called’ to the Bar (the profession of a specialist advocate before courts and tribunals) in February 2008. She previously practised as a solicitor, predominately in the area of family law. Prior to obtaining a Bachelor of Laws from QUT, Nerida served as an Australian Federal Police Officer stationed at Southern Region headquarters, Melbourne. Nerida served in the Fraud Squad, Drug Unit and later in the Training Branch instructing Detective and Recruit training courses. She was an appointed ‘mentor’, assisting and supporting female police graduates in the workplace.

Nerida was born and raised in Cairns, her formative influences were the lay and religious women educators who taught at St Monica’s College Cairns. She says she ‘first became conscious’ in the company of women. Nerida is the immediate past President of the Far North Queensland Law Association and the Cairns Region Domestic Violence Service.

Throughout her career Nerida has contributed in many ways to provide opportunities for and raise awareness about contemporary issues affecting girls and women. Nerida is committed to supporting and enhancing the position of women in the community. Examples of her contribution to the local community within the sphere of law include:
 

• an International Women’s Day Forum initiated and chaired by her in 2007, auspiced by the Far North Qld Law Association in conjunction with the Cairns City Council, featuring keynote speakers including Queensland’s Anti – Discrimination Commissioner Susan Booth and South Australian Barrister Claire O’Connor speaking about the plight of refugees held in Australian Detention Centres with specific reference to the case of Cornelia Rau.
• initiating an annual university-level ‘mooting’ (mock court) competition in conjunction with James Cook University. The moot is in its 5th year and is now an established subject available through the JCU law school. The competition provides law students with an outstanding opportunity to participate in the tradition of mooting with unprecedented access to the local judiciary and senior members of the profession.

Most recently Nerida has contributed to the advancement of women and young people in various speaking roles including as:

• Keynote speaker 2007 White Ribbon Day (Cairns)
• Chair 2007 International Women’s Day Forum (Cairns)
• Chair Queensland Law Society Legal Educators and Young Lawyers Conference 1996 and 1997 (Brisbane)
• Keynote speaker 2007 Future Leaders Forum (Cairns)

Session Overview - “Speaking the Unspeakable – expecting the legal system to do what we are unable to do for ourselves” How the legal system deals with children and families, is it good enough? Experimenting with legislation?

Nerida will speak about the 2006 amendments to the Family Law Act relating to the presumption of ‘shared parental responsibility’. Does the surge toward upholding the rights of children to know and be cared for by both their parents neglect the real needs of children and mitigate against their fullest development? Does the presumption give adequate weight to each parents ability to care for their child?

Nerida will also discuss related legal issues including:

• the use of children’s evidence in the legal system and children as witnesses
• the ‘child protection’ system – what happens when dysfunctional families are dismantled?

These issues will form the basis of her paper for the 2008 Australian Women Educators Conference.

Day 2 (2 October 2008) - Julie Mills

Bio

Julie Mills is an Associate Professor and Program Director in Civil Engineering at the University of South Australia.  Prior to commencing at the University in 1996, she worked for fifteen years as a structural engineer in private industry on industrial, commercial and residential projects.  She has a BE (Hons) from Adelaide University and a PhD from Curtin University in the area of structural engineering education.  Her primary research interests are in engineering education, women in engineering and cold-formed steel structures.  Julie has served as Chair of the National Committee for Women in Engineering in Australia in 2004-6 and has received several university teaching awards.  In 2006 she was awarded a Carrick Australian Award for University Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.

Session Overivew - Women engineers in Australia – progress and promise for the next generation?

Despite the hard work and good intentions of individuals, institutions and organisations over the last 25 years, the number of women enrolling in engineering at universities in Australia (and other western countries) peaked at only 15% in 2002 and has declined every year since.  The numbers in the workforce are even worse.  Yet a recent survey shows that women engineers enjoy their work, describe their workplaces as supportive and report significant increases in the availability of family friendly working conditions. Julie will provide a personal perspective on the issues that face women who pursue a career in engineering and what we as educators can do to support and encourage the next generation of girls to enter this exciting and rewarding career.

Day 3 (3 October 2008) - Gina Archer

Bio & Session Overview

• Chair QIECC - (Queensland Indigenous Education Consultatative Committee)
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• Cultural issues for women.
• Gina is a Torres Strait Islander (through her Mother) and was born in Cairns.  She went to Parramatta SS and Cairns SHS.  She attended Kelvin Grove Teachers’ College in Brisbane and became a Secondary HPE and Geography Teacher in July, 1975.

Her Mum was born in Mossman and her Dad was born in Cairns and had a family of 6 children.  Family, education and sport were the high priorities of the family.  Gina was an Australian Umpire, Queensland Representative and Level 2 Coach in Hockey and a Queensland Representative in Vigoro. Gina has worked in Queensland schools (North Rockhampton SHS, Kedron SHS and the Brisbane School of Distance Education) in many capacities and brings extensive experience in Indigenous Education and advice to education systems and government.  She has worked in schools, including leadership positions for over 30 years and has had experience in systemic support roles to teachers and schools. Gina also has a strong background in planning and delivery of strategies.The QIECC was formed in February, 2006 and is a body of 11 prominent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with expertise in education and training (including pre-school, school, higher education and Training).  The QIECC takes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities’ views and advice to the State Minister for Education, Training and the Arts as well as the Commonwealth Minister for Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.  This advice includes concerns and views on the effectiveness of Queensland and Commonwealth Government education programs and strategies to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous Queenslanders.Ms Archer will talk about the Choices, Chances and Opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners.  A key juncture for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was the development of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy in 1989.  A national policy accepted by the Commonwealth Government, all State and Territory Governments and every education sector.  The policy included a robust funding structure, of which elements still exist today.  The 21 long term goals it articulated for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners are as relevant today as they were almost 20 years ago.The themes around the long term goals are participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in educational decision-making, to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples employed in education and training; equitable access to education and training services; participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in education and training; to ensure equitable and appropriate educational achievement, to promote, maintain and support the teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, cultures and languages to all Indigenous and non-Indigenous students; and to provide community development training services including proficiency in English literacy and numeracy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults.  Despite dedicated programs by Government and a commitment by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, outcomes for Indigenous Australians overall has shown little improvement.  The previous Australian government vowed to close the gap in Indigenous and non-Indigenous outcomes and set targets between them and each State and Territory government for the 2000 to 2004 funding period that reflected this closure.  There was no closure of the gap during that period, so the targets were relaxed for the 2004 to 2008 funding period.  The closure still has barely shifted.  On that momentous occasion on February 13, 2008, the current Prime Minister delivered a welcome Apology to the Indigenous people of Australia.  Along with the Apology came a commitment to halve the gap in Indigenous and non-Indigenous outcomes within a decade.

Its time to make good on that promise, with a commitment by all Australians. Its time to reduce the gap and to focus on key elements such as early childhood education, embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives across all curriculum, value Indigenous workforce, genuine parent and family engagement and local decision making.