Do you remember being at school and knowing an answer to the question, waving that hand up, but being ignored? I do.  I hope that experience has lessened for you as you have matured and learnt how to manage social interactions more skilfully. But maybe if you are a woman, or from a non-dominant social group you still find yourself overlooked as a person who “looks like leadership material” steps forward to assume authority.

There is a well-worn stereotype that women speak more than men in social interactions. This view is not born out by research which tells us that Women in groups tend to get and keep the floor less frequently and for less time, interrupt less, and use language strategies that are more supportive and that minimize status distinctions.(1)

I am conscious of this paradigm and I immediately thought of it when asked to write a piece for International Women’s Day. The campaign theme this year is #EachforEqual. Making space for all voices is a small change that we can all make in our daily interactions and small changes are the stepping stones for big changes.

I have recently read the book “Range” by David Epstein‎. He makes a strong case calling for a plurality of views and experiences to solve problems. ACRRM’s founding policies stipulated that a minimum of one third of all committees must be female. That proportion reflected the gender balance in the rural medical workforce in the 1990s. During my first term on the ACRRM board in 2002 I argued that ACRRM needed to understand the requirements of rural female doctors. The ACRRM board responded by funding a survey of rural female doctors and introduced a number of changes in the college to reflect the findings of that research. The need for a flexible training program was recognised and although AGPT restrictions has hampered this in recent years it is still a strong feature.

Research told us that women did procedural work and ACRRM ensured that our messaging was inclusive. We also learnt that women will accept leadership roles, but they are more likely than their male colleagues to require a tap on the shoulder to do so. ACRRM encourages transparency and participation in our governance from the community and all strata of our membership. We have encouraged female and male leaders and we have a youthful and vigorous leadership team. The Connect@ACRRM Members’ Lounge is a good example of our efforts to connect members, as is the Respectful Workplaces Committee, which was introduced under our current president Dr Ewen McPhee.

So, I hope that your experience in this college is one of being welcomed and extended whoever you are and that, if you have distressing memories of being ignored as that smart kid in class, your experiences in ACRRM are giving you some solace!