Gender and Decent, Safe Work

Gender equality, decent work and health and wellbeing are being emphasised globally as elements of transforming our world. Each is included in the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals, which aim to achieve a better and more sustainable future. The issues require ongoing focus in both developing and developed countries. Even in Australia, the quest for equitable, safe and decent work is an ongoing challenge. Workforce data indicates many gender trends, from the increasing proportion of women at work to the increasing segregation of women into some occupations and often lower-paid and less secure types of work. But these debates are often gender-blind, assuming the same implications for men and women. I am interested in supervising students on a wide range of questions and topics related to the visibility of women in these discussions around decent, safe work. For example, what are the gendered implications of changing labour markets, as traditional full-time jobs give way to less secure types of work and the emerging gig economy? What health and safety implications for women in this changing labour market? Are health and safety regimes looking beyond male-dominated sectors such as construction to accommodate the growing female workforce? What strategies and regulatory models will support safe, equitable and decent work for men and women?

Funding is also provided by CQUniversity to support research higher degree student project costs, and to support national and international conference presentations. This includes:

For masters by research candidates:

• up to $4,000 in Candidate Support Funds
• up to $3,000 for Candidate Travel Support

For doctoral candidates:

• up to $6,000 in Candidate Support Funds
• up to $4,500 for Conference Travel Support