Going up? Women in the public sector

Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to document women's reflections on their careers over a ten-year period to provide quantitative baseline data on which to frame follow-up in-depth interviews. The participants work in the public service in Queensland (Australia) and had been recommended for, and participated in, women in management (WIM) courses conducted in the early 1990s. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected by means of a survey (containing closed and open items) which gathered demographic data and data related to employment history, perceptions of success and satisfaction, and the women's future career expectations. Findings – Findings revealed that the percentage of women in middle and senior management had increased over the ten-year period, although not to the extent one might have anticipated, given that the women had been targeted as high flyers by their supervisors. While not content with their classification levels (i.e. seniority), the majority of the cohort viewed their careers as being successful. Practical implications – Questions arise from this study as to why women are still “not getting to the top”. There are also policy implications for the public service concerning women's possible “reinventive contribution” and training implications associated with women only courses. Originality/value – The study is part of an Australian longitudinal study on the careers of women who attended a prestigious women-only management course in the early 1990s in Queensland. This is now becoming a study of older women.

Women are silver, women are diamonds: Conflicting images of women in the Cambodian print

This paper examines 116 articles related to sexual and reproductive health translated into English from the Khmer press from April 1997 to February 2004. These excerpts were found in The Mirror, a publication of the non-governmental organisation Open Forum of Cambodia, which collates Grid reviews all issues of the Khmer press on a weekly basis. Five major themes were identified: the politics of women's health, government regulation and control, the sex industry in Cambodia, rape, and the HIV epidemic. Discourse analysis of these articles in the context of other sources and experience allows a gendered exploration of the reporting of sexual and reproductive health and rights issues in Cambodia by the Khmer print media. The reports explore the contested political empowerment of women in this strongly hierarchical society, and the mechanisms used to regulate and control sexual activity. The expanding sex industry and associated sexual trafficking ore reported, together with the corruption of legal structures designed to regulate health systems and protect women and children from sexual exploitation and rope. The growing problem of AIDS and successes in reducing HIV transmission through the collaboration of sex workers in the 100% condom use policy is documented, and the tensions implicit in G Cultural representation of women that both protects and constrains women ore explored. (C) 2004 Reproductive Health Matters. All rights reserved.

Women in the Queensland Parliament

Women won the right to vote in Queensland in 1905, but had to wait until 1915 and the election of the first Labor government to govern in its own right before they became eligible to stand for Parliament. Prior to 1989, women were only occasionally and randomly elected to the Queensland Parliament and until that year, only 11 women had sat in Parliament, and there were long gaps separating their representation.

Pace of Civil Litigation in the Queensland Supreme Court

The overriding philosophy of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999 in Queensland is to facilitate the just and expeditious resolution of the issues in a civil proceeding at minimum expense. The court is enjoined to apply the rules to avoid undue delay, expense and technicality. Parties impliedly undertake to the court and each other to proceed expeditiously. These rules adopt management theories developed to contain delay and cost in the civil justice system. A survey was designed to determine whether the overriding objective is being achieved in practice. The results indicate a reduction in the time from initiation of a proceeding to termination as compared to a sample of similar cases determined under the repealed Rules of the Supreme Court.

Food and nutrient consumption patterns in third trimester Thai-Muslim pregnant women in rural Southern Thailand

The aims of this study were to determine food and nutrient intakes and the socio-economic factors influencing food and nutrient intakes of rural Thai-Muslim women in the third trimester of pregnancy. The study was conducted in Pattani province, Thailand, where 166 women were interviewed between 32 and 40 weeks gestation. A questionnaire. including a Food Frequency Questionnaire was used. Data on food items were compiled into the five basic Thai food groups, and food intakes were computed into macro and micro-nutrients. Mean weight intake of each of the five groups was below the recommended level for pregnant Thai women. Mean intake of niacin, vitamin A (RE) and vitamin C were above the recommended Thai level. Thiamin, calcium. phosphorus and iron intakes were lower than 50% of recommended levels. Intakes of the five food groups were not associated with socio-economic status, although total non-haem iron intake was associated with level of education. Under-consumption of food and nutrients among pregnant women in the study area was due to poor education. poverty and food availability. Integrated strategies should be considered to promote increased intakes to meet nutrient recommendations.