When we discuss gender equality, we often hear about “breaking the glass ceiling”, but that is too simple an explanation for such a complex problem.
For women with multiple intersecting marginalisations, these barriers become compounded, more difficult, and are often invisible. For example, culturally and racially marginalised (CARM) women often face multiple, overlapping barriers shaped by both racism and sexism, making advancement even more challenging. Gender equality is at its most powerful when we work together, and in order to do that, we must be intersectional.
As we mark International Women’s Day (8 March), we’re also celebrating International Women of Colour Day (1 March) by shining a spotlight on the groundbreaking RISE Project (Realise. Inspire. Support. Energise) – an innovative example of taking an intersectional approach to gender equity. The RISE Project not only identifies barriers to career progression for CARM women, it also works with organisations to help them dismantle these barriers.
Thanks to DCA’s CARM Women in Leadership report, we know that CARM women face systemic barriers when it comes to career advancement. Despite women holding 46% of board director positions, culturally diverse women hold only 5.7%. Our research shows that while CARM women are ambitious, capable, and resilient, they still encounter a range of deeply entrenched barriers in Australian workplaces such as:
- not having their voices or lived experience centred
- being assessed against biased leadership models
- lacking access to influential social networks where promotion decisions are often made.
This research makes it clear that taking an intersectional approach crucial if we are to break down barriers for all women.
What is RISE?
RISE is a collaborative project between DCA, Settlement Services International (SSI), and Chief Executive Women (CEW), funded by the Office for Women (OFW) through their Women’s Leadership and Development Program (WLDP). The project is designed by a team of predominantly CARM women with subject matter expertise in intersectionality, specifically, the intersections of racism and sexism (gendered racism), in addition to having lived experience of these intersecting marginalisations. Drawing on the strength of this diverse team, RISE challenges outdated, siloed inclusion models, instead adopting a holistic, evidence-based approach that prioritises the experiences of those who are most marginalised within an already marginalised group. It acknowledges and actively works to dismantle the multiple layers of inequity that persist in our workplaces.
“The RISE program was attractive to Spectrum as it provided the opportunity for many of our leaders to gain valuable support to drive their leadership journey, but in reality, it has been so much more,” said Rebecca Power, CEO of Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre.
“As an organisation we have benefited from benchmarking with others on important areas such as anti-racism, it has driven changes in our policies, procedures, and practices to build a strong framework for an anti-racist organisation and the training has build our knowledge, capability and commitment. It’s a long journey to building a truly inclusive organisations and in turn community, but having the RISE program on our side has been key.”
With the participation of 25 leading organisations (RISE25) – including Woolworths, Telstra, USYD, HCF and BHP – the RISE Project represents a collective commitment to fostering inclusive leadership pathways for CARM women.
“Being part of the RISE Leadership Program has been an empowering and deeply reflective experience,” said RISE participant, Ozlem Bayman, who is a Senior Project Officer Local Area Co-ordination at Uniting NSW.ACT.
“It has reinforced my own self-identity and given me the confidence to step into spaces where CARM women are often underrepresented. This experience has reaffirmed my purpose—to elevate diverse voices, advocate for meaningful representation, and ensure that future leaders rise without the limitations I have had to navigate.”
The RISE Project’s 25 participating organisations (RISE25):
- Arup
- Deloitte
- University of Technology Sydney
- Accenture Australia Pty Ltd
- Gilbert + Tobin
- HCF – Hospital Contributions Fund of Australia
- Telstra
- Uniting NSW.ACT
- Woolworths Group
- ANU College of Systems and Society
- Crown Resorts
- Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
- University of Sydney
- Aurecon
- EnergyAustralia
- ACON Health Limited
- Navitas Pty Ltd
- The Star Entertainment Group
- Jesuit Social Services
- Westpac Group
- Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG)
- Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA)
- BHP
- Russell Kennedy
- Anglicare Victoria
RISE takes an innovative two-streamed approach, engaging participating organisations on both an organisational level and an individual level. At an organisational level, RISE supports organisations to identify and dismantle systemic barriers by co-designing fit-for-purpose action plans with CARM women at the centre of the process.
“The RISE program was an empowering journey that provided invaluable insights into overcoming barriers and unlocking our full potential,” said Harsha Gopinath, RISE participant from Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre.
“Through engaging workshops, meaningful connections, and hands-on experiences, I gained the confidence to grow both personally and professionally. The program fostered a supportive environment that encouraged self-reflection, resilience, and the development of strategies that will continue to guide me in my career and beyond”
On an individual level, RISE works with up to 15 CARM women from each organisation to centre their voices in the change-making process and ensure it prioritises what they need from organisations to feel included and thrive at work.
“Beyond the training, RISE fosters a deep sense of camaraderie and mutual support, creating a network of peers, coaches, mentors, and sponsors – a space where our experiences are shared, and realities embraced,” said RISE participant, Agnes Diaz, Senior Facade Engineer at Arup.
“RISE empowers intersectional women to advance and thrive in their careers, ensuring our voices are heard and our talents recognized at the highest levels of the industry. I believe that targeted initiatives like RISE are essential in achieving equity in Australian workspaces”
The participating CARM women take part in a variety of programs tailored to their individual needs and focused on unlocking their career advancement opportunities. These programs include mentorship, sponsorship, career planning, leadership development, and more.
Fostering inclusion in leadership – one empowered woman at a time
As the RISE Project progresses towards its scheduled completion in 2026, the project is now entering the crucial evaluation phase to assess its impact. For many RISE teams, this marks their first time integrating intersectionality into their gender equality work, making this stage particularly significant.
“HCF has gained valuable insights from its involvement in DCA’s CARM Women in Leadership program,” said Angela Wilcox, Chief Officer People & Culture at HCF.
“The CARM leaders undertaking the program have provided us with the opportunity to listen and learn from their experiences; gain insight and reflect on how we can remove any biases or barriers that might be impeding their career progression, over and above our existing strategies for achieving gender equity at work.”
During this phase, the RISE team is actively gathering insights and feedback to measure the project’s effectiveness and capture key learnings. With data collection underway, these findings will help shape future initiatives and refine leading practices for taking an intersectional approach to any organisational change work.
The level of participation in the RISE Project and its impact so far are truly inspiring:
- 231 participants engaged in 1:1 career development sessions with SSI.
- 159 participants completed a Strengths Profile to identify and leverage their leadership potential.
- 298 participants attended one or more RISE networking events, building essential professional connections.
- 122 participants designed Career Advancement Plans.
- 117 participants received debriefing on implementing these plans.
- 61 participants took a step toward their career goals.
- 13 participants transitioned into more senior roles.
“Being part of the RISE initiative has given me a boost in my career. The coaching and mentoring I’ve received have not only boosted my confidence but also provided me with the tools to navigate the challenges I face as a woman from a culturally and racially marginalised background who has an aspiration to be in a leadership role,” said RISE participant Bhavana Kaisare, who works for HCF.
“The support network and career advancement plans have been invaluable in helping me gauge my improvement areas and develop a plan to progress towards leadership roles. It’s empowering to know that there are initiatives like RISE that are dedicated to fostering inclusive and equitable workplaces.”
From an organisational change perspective, we are also seeing some significant results:
- all participating organisations have completed the ASSESS TO RISE Tool, an innovative, Australian-first audit tool designed by DCA in collaboration with Kind Enterprises, to identify organisational barriers keeping CARM women out of leadership roles
- 20 organisations have begun drafting gendered racism action plans to address some of the areas identified through the audit process
- five organisations have already begun implementing their plans
- multiple organisations, such as HCF, have established additional CARM Employee Resource Groups (ERG), recognising the significance of race as a diversity dimension
- some organisations, for example, Uniting NSW.ACT and Spectrum Migrant Centre, have also conducted “centring voice sessions” following the release of DCA’s Centring Marginalised Voices at Work guidelines – and in most cases, these have entailed multiple in-depth focus group sessions with CARM women, reviewing the results of the audit and prioritising areas for action.
“The check-in sessions with the DCA RISE team and the networking sessions with project teams were especially helpful in mapping out what else is being done and what is needed across sectors,” said Dr. Elaine Laforteza, Equity & Diversity Project Officer (Cultural Diversity), at UTS.
“There was a solidarity and enthusiastic willingness to engage and connect that made the difficult work in this space easier.”
Let’s take an intersectional approach to International Women’s Day
Uniting NSW.ACT RISE participants at 2024 DCA debate
Amidst the momentum leading up to this year’s International Women’s Day, we encourage you to also recognise International Women of Colour Day – dedicated to honouring the achievements and contributions of women of colour, acknowledging the intersecting impacts of both racism and sexism, advocating for civil and human rights, and standing against all forms of discrimination.
Diversity and inclusion work is about uplifting the voices of everyone, especially those who experience compounded forms of marginalisation. By challenging systemic barriers and encouraging organisations to drive meaningful change, programs like RISE don’t just benefit CARM women – they help to shape a more equitable future for all.
To find out more, visit the RISE Project webpage.