Goulburn Valley Pet Adoption & Rehoming manager Tilliah Brooks joined us for a Q and A, and talked about what IDW meant to her and the strides society needed to make to achieve gender equality.
Name: Tilliah Brooks.
Age: 25.
Occupation: Manager at Goulburn Valley Pet Adoption and Rehoming and public servant.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
It’s a day to celebrate all women’s accomplishments around the world and what we’re doing as a female body to make change and make the world a better place.
Do you feel constrained in your career because of your sex?
Not in my current workplace, but where I’ve worked previously. There’s definitely been moments where it’s hard to be a woman. You can be told you’re too bossy, too dominant or too controlling – whereas if you were a man those traits would be conveyed as a good thing.
Do you feel you’ve missed out on opportunities because you’re female?
I’m not sure. In previous roles I have seen men in the same roles as me have been promoted faster, or given more opportunities than me.
Have you had an experience where you felt your voice wasn’t heard because of your sex?
I used to work in a very male-dominated field (in a factory) and that would happen a lot.
Even though the role that I had, where I knew a lot about that role – our manager, who was male, his voice was listened to and me and my female associates weren’t really heard.
That in itself can be very disempowering as a woman just to be shut down and have sexist comments made towards you.
I've heard things like ‘you’re a woman, why are you even at work?’ 'does your partner not make enough money for you to live off his wage? I feel sorry that you have to work’ – and that in itself is a real kick in the face.
What do you think could be done to improve equality?
So many things: At work, I think it’s important to have the leaders show the way in calling out inappropriate behaviour and having clear boundaries and lots of training for staff.
Sometimes its inequality wouldn’t seem so obvious to other people, like how people speak to men versus women, how people praise men versus women can come across differently, so it’s something we need to work on and be mindful of.
Do you feel you are paid fairly in comparison to males in the same or similar role?
Yes I am paid fairly and equally to men in my job, and I don’t get paid at all for my position at Goulburn Valley Pet Adoption and Rehoming.
Do you feel like your gender influences the way you operate at work?
You always have to be mindful.
I think I have a soft approach on how I deal with people, and sometimes struggle to be that authoritative voice.
I’m really lucky, working in public service, that I have a group of really strong females around me, who are helping me stand my ground , find my voice and empowering me.
What advice would you give young girls about life, especially their career choices/dreams?
My one piece of advice would be to find something you’re passionate about that gets a fire in your belly and run with that.
If you care deeply about something then it helps you find your voice.
And don’t be afraid to passionately speak about something you care about, or something you’ve educated yourself about, you deserve to be heard.
9°C