The treatment of Yassmin Abdel-Magied might make other young women scared to speak out

A group of business and community leaders lead by Julie McKay fear the treatment of activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied will discourage other young women leaders.

Despite all the talk, women continue to be under-represented in all aspects of public life, leadership and decision making.

We are all called on regularly to provide our insights into why this remains the case in Australia and what can be done to achieve the diversity and inclusion which we know will benefit our society and economy.

Last week, we saw a telling example of what happens to women who stand up for gender equality and dare to voice their opinions with conviction. They become front-page news, their personal lives are attacked, death threats are made towards them, petitions are created to undermine their confidence and credibility.

As business and community leaders, all of whom have benefited from the advice and insights of Yassmin Abdel-Magied, we could not remain silent while this occurred yet again.

The 2015 Young Queenslander of the Year, Yassmin, has devoted her life to making Australia a better place.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied was named the Young Queenslander of the Year in 2015 for her work in engineering and for women and young people. (Pic: Supplied)

She has made an enormous contribution to her profession of engineering, as well as working tirelessly to encourage more young women to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.

She has worked with us, and many other leaders, to better understand how to build organisational cultures that foster the skills, knowledge and expertise of all our employees.

In her spare time, she sits on boards and advisory committees supporting government, corporates and NGOs to better understand the challenges facing women and young people.

The vast majority of this work Yassmin does unpaid and in her spare time.

It is not front page news that DFAT makes investments in public diplomacy and promoting Australia’s interests abroad.

If a man had visited the same countries to speak about trade, it would not make headlines.

We need to be more honest about what is going on here — the targeted undermining of a young woman who breaks every stereotype, is challenging us all to think differently and who from time to time, calls out our ignorance.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied is breaking barriers and stereotypes in the engineering industry. (Pic: Sarah Marshall)

Frankly, we should be proud that a young woman like Yassmin is having the opportunity and access to young women around the world who may not otherwise have aspired to be a leader, an engineer, an activist.

Last week, young woman all around Australia learned that it is better to stay quiet, to keep your opinions to themselves, to not aspire to be a visible leader — because if you do, you risk being torn down in the most public of ways.

That is not a message that we want the next generation to hear.

We are calling on all business and community leaders to actively give a platform to young women such as Yassmin, to hear their concerns and take their advice. We are better leaders for having done so and Australia would be a better country when we do.

Julie McKay, Gender Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Force and Partner PwC

Michael Rose, Non Executive Director

Jan Owen, CEO Foundation for Young Australians

Marcus Laithwaite, Partner, PwC

Miriam Silva, Non Executive Director

David Wakeley, Non Executive Director

Rodin Genoff, Managing Director, Rodin Genoff & Associates

Originally published as The treatment of Yassmin Abdel-Magied might make other young women scared to speak out