The author does a magnificent job of stereotyping and demonising men who are on a board of directors.

I wonder why she likes feminists?

So once again we are being exposed to the whinning of another highly educated white women about the lack of other white women at board level, well pardon me if I don't care. At least they have had the right to an education and full citezanship and other opportunities since 1901, which is far more than what Indigenous people including our women have had.

Carmen Lawrence and Pauline Hanson both white women made it to the top of the white male dominated world of politics, and they were great ambassadors for their gender. Lawrence destroyed Aboriginal Land rights whilst Premier of WA and Hanson did her best to close services for Aboriginal people, despite having lived of them whilst her ex husband worked as plummer mainly for Aboriginal housing.

And what about Meg Lees and GST on books, she will be forever associated with giving us that monster that is now costing the Australian community far to much money for books to educate our children. Also it was white farmers wives and those of civil servants who stood by whilst our Indigenous female slave labour were being molested by their husbands and then did nothing as the resulting children were taken away.

Until suitably qualified Aboriginal women are elevated to the same level in white society as others of their gender, your argument and that of other white women will remain forever nothing more than race based propaganda and irrelevant

hey, what? yindin, did you actually read the article? why on earth would you want to have 'suitably' 'qualified' women anywhere? that's the whole point of the article - that 'suitably' 'qualified' are not the ones who are wanted to make a real difference, and who will make a real difference.

who says they are 'suitable'? who says they are 'qualified'. this is (excuse me) what the article is about!

we want lots and lots of *un*suitable and *differently* qualified women to make a real difference.

hello!

also, you do indigenous australian women a disservice by ignoring all the great contributors to a *good* and worthwhile australia who are indigenous australian women - there are heaps of them out here, i can assure you, and their contribution truly counts in an australia (and world) which needs this contribution - always and forever.

Might have left out the salad anecdote as she can eat what she wants but the rest of the article is strong.

The names Cheryl Kernot, Joan Kirner and RMIT's former VC Ruth Dunkin were all strong women - and I should add Professor Belinda Probert, former Dean of Arts at Melbourne University. I could go through the private sector and the media and name names but there's not enough time.

The rapaciousness of modern organisations effectively chews people up - and especially women who show intelligence and the ability to arbitrate. Why? Fear, not only on the part of men but also some women, who turn their intelligence in to guile and lop the tall poppies.

Jocelynne,

Perhaps you and I travel in remarkably different circles, however the women that are in senior executive positions that I deal with could not be further than the way you describe them.

Many do bring a feminising impact to their areas of responsibility, which is a welcome change. Many do rock the boat from the ways that things used to be done.

Your recollection with how things were in the 80s, while it may be an accurate reflection of how it was then, bears little comparison with the ways of today. Gail Kelly (CEO St George Bank) is a prime example of this - she jumped ship from CBA to leapfrog over the other execs at CBA (and St George), and there was quite a stir as a result.

This article comes across as the whinging of a bitter woman. There is little constructive commentary here, and even less to increase the numbers of women at the board level.

"She remains with the crew who believe that women who “make it” carry with them an obligation to support and promote other women,"

I was wondering what the response would be had a man said that same thing.

I can just imagine the response to a man serving on a board of directors for a large corporation that wanted to hijack the boards direction and supplant non board issues. "Hey Jack, do you think they'll be asking you back after putting forth special for men only banking programmes?" "Um, no Bob. They made it perfectly clear sexual politics has no place in the corporate reality."

I'm always amazed how sexism is excused and made appropriate when instigated by women.