Samantha Sutherland

Samantha Sutherland A world that works for working women

12/12/2025

The person most often quoted to me in all my conversations with women is and her famous line that women are expected to work as if we don’t have children while raising our children as if we didn’t have a job from her seminal work The Wife Drought.

And in this episode of Women at Work podcast I had the great fortune and pleasure of speaking to Annabel about what’s changed since the Wife Drought - and what hasn’t - her take on shifting politics due to the influence of women, her new book, and a bit of pop culture.

Listen to Women at Work wherever you get your podcasts

I started Women at Work podcast because I wanted women to feel less alone in the challenge of juggling care and career, ...
01/08/2025

I started Women at Work podcast because I wanted women to feel less alone in the challenge of juggling care and career, and to help advocate for structural change.

Sally Hasler is CEO of Women’s Health Victoria, and this honest sharing of what it looks like, where she needs support (professionally and personally) as well as the incredible work WHV is doing to advocate for change in the medical system.

Search for Women at Work wherever you get your podcasts, or click the link in bio

Gender inequality isn’t good for anyone, and Lisa Annese, CEO of talks about why in the latest episode of Women at Work...
24/07/2025

Gender inequality isn’t good for anyone, and Lisa Annese, CEO of talks about why in the latest episode of Women at Work podcast.

She shared:

♾️ How gender equality benefits everyone (not just women), and the misinformation about what gender equality is
👨‍💼 The ways men suffer under inequality, such as the loneliness epidemic
💏 The women’s movement is about safety, security, prosperity, freedom for everyone and refocusing on families

As well as the incredible work CEW is doing around community, leadership and advocacy plus

🚧 The barriers to women’s progress that remain

Listen in using the link in bio, or search Women at Work wherever you get your podcasts.

Tech has an attrition problem with mid-career women, and Emma Jones is doing work to fix it. She established the T-EDI ...
17/07/2025

Tech has an attrition problem with mid-career women, and Emma Jones is doing work to fix it.

She established the T-EDI standards - a movement to accelerate women’s tech careers, because this structural problem has structural solutions.

In this really interesting chat, we covered:

↔️ The tech gender gap

🚧 The barriers women face
🐷 “Putting lipstick on a pig”
👨‍💼 Persistent stereotypes
💸 Recruitment and pay transparency practices
🌿 Culture, values and belonging

Search Women at Work wherever you get your podcasts, or click the link in bio

The first time Tilak Ramesh experienced racism was in year three. Now, she’s changing systems, one conversation at a ti...
03/07/2025

The first time Tilak Ramesh experienced racism was in year three. Now, she’s changing systems, one conversation at a time.

Khayshie was the final guest for season 4 of Women at Work podcast, and what a great end to the season! Our conversation covered a lot of ground:

🌺 Being polite and being liked are survival mechanisms in the workplace

🛑 Antiracism, what it is, and how she brings it to her work

🚶‍♀️‍➡️ The travellator of equality (pushing us the wrong way, so we have to move against it)

🪆 Workplaces present our biggest opportunity for change, and training is our biggest avenue to drive change

🚺 Her work at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, and what it taught her about negotiating for change

♾️ and so much more...

Search for Women at Work wherever you get your podcasts, or click the link in bio.

“Positivity is not something fluffy, it’s something that improves your bottom line”Louise Baxter is CEO of the Starlight...
27/06/2025

“Positivity is not something fluffy, it’s something that improves your bottom line”

Louise Baxter is CEO of the Starlight Children’s Foundation Australia, and core to her leadership is positivity.

And she’s seen every business metric improve because of it. In this latest episode of Women at Work podcast, we talk about

🌟 The amazing work that Starlight is doing
🚀 The culture of positivity that makes working there so wonderful
👩‍💼 Louise’s ‘moment of truth’ when she decided to eave advertising to join Starlight
♾️ A self-described suffragette her whole life, Louise thinks gender equality hasn’t gone far enough yet

and so much more.
Find Women at Work wherever you get your podcasts, or click the links in bio

Grasping opportunities and being aware of the impact she can make has driven and her impact throughout her career.Now D...
10/06/2025

Grasping opportunities and being aware of the impact she can make has driven and her impact throughout her career.

Now Director, UTS Centre for Indigenous People and Work and the Associate Dean (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement), in this broad conversation she shared:

🧑‍🎓 Nareen’s work at Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research.
🔎 Introducing research into the work at Diversity Council of Australia, and bringing a First Nations lens to it at Jumbunna.
🧩 The intersectional double bind of caring, and the care model within First Nations communities as a result of inter-generational trauma.
♾️ Community responsibility and what workplaces can do.
🕴‍ How the Gari Yala findings have been applied in organisations.
🎯 Focusing on high-impact activities

Listen in, links in bio or search for Women at Work wherever you get your podcasts 🎧

“Be braver, put your hand up earlier, what’s the worst thing that can happen?” - Sophie McCarthyInspired by her mother W...
04/06/2025

“Be braver, put your hand up earlier, what’s the worst thing that can happen?” - Sophie McCarthy

Inspired by her mother Wendy McCarthy she says to check in with what’s holding you back, and take action before you feel ready.

Her reality check for all of us:

✋ Stop waiting for permission to step up
💭 The worst-case scenario is rarely as bad as we imagine
🚀 Taking action beats perfect preparation

As CEO of McCarthy Mentoring, Sophie works with major companies to create real change by getting executive teams involved and focusing on programs that actually make a difference, not just tick boxes.

We covered everything from WGEA reporting to superannuation inequality to why the care and health sectors are where the growth is happening.

What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Maybe it’s time to find out.

Full episode available now, link in bio 🎧

“This assumption that we’re going to fix gender inequity by telling women to adopt the superwoman stance… well someone’s...
26/05/2025

“This assumption that we’re going to fix gender inequity by telling women to adopt the superwoman stance… well someone’s got to question it” - Dr. Leonora Risse 💬

I remember not liking Lean In, without being able to articulate exactly why. Then in Option B, she said, single women and those without her resources can’t lean in, in the same way (I’m butchering that quote, but you get my point), and I realised THAT’s why I didn’t like it.

Dr Risse’s work supports exactly that – confidence helps men’s career progression, but not women’s. In this episode of Women at Work podcast, we also discussed:

🔎 How a focus on women removes responsibility from workplaces and governments to drive structural change.

🦹‍♀️ Why individual “superwoman” efforts can’t overcome systemic barriers

🪜 The need for structural solutions instead of personal transformation

🪢 Dr. Risse’s journey from naively believing in “leaning in” to becoming a fierce advocate for systemic change resonates with so many of us.

With a PhD focused on paid maternity leave in Australia and as a Harvard Research Fellow, she brings academic rigour to these deeply personal challenges.

Listen to Women at Work on Spotify or Apple podcasts, links in bio!

24/05/2025

“It will take the evolution of workplaces to realise we can operate under a different business mode.”

In the latest episode of Women at Work podcast, Dr. Leonora Risse - economist and gender equality expert - challenges outdated workplace structures in our latest episode. She discussed:

📈 How benefits that genuinely meet employee needs translate to higher loyalty and productivity

🏠 How the rise in remote work has supported women staying in the workforce

🔥The growing crisis of burnout and what organisations must do to address it

🤱 Evidence that care work builds transferable capabilities valuable in professional settings

Listen to Women at Work podcast for Dr. Risse’s practical insights on how businesses can evolve to thrive with a balanced workforce.

🎧 Find Women at Work on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, links in bio!

“All I do is work and kids. But we have fun every day” - Claire Harvey, Editorial Director at The AustralianThis beautif...
20/05/2025

“All I do is work and kids. But we have fun every day” - Claire Harvey, Editorial Director at The Australian

This beautifully honest quote from the latest guest on Women at Work podcast encapsulates:

🔎 The joyful simplicity of focusing on what truly matters

🌟 Finding delight in everyday moments amidst the chaos

👯‍♀️ The reality of a life driven by dual passions

💸 Claire believes we owe it to ourselves to remain in the workforce and maintain our financial independence—but she’s equally passionate about being present for her children.

Beyond the financial rewards, she articulates so brilliantly why we work: purpose, contribution, intellectual fulfilment and community.

Hear Claire’s full story by searching Women at Work wherever you get your podcasts (link in bio)

“Taking that step into the unknown will be the best thing you can do. Scary as hell, but the best thing you can do!” - ...
13/05/2025

“Taking that step into the unknown will be the best thing you can do. Scary as hell, but the best thing you can do!” -

In this compelling conversation with the Chair of Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) former Director of Workplace Gender Equality Agency, we discuss:

🗳️ Women’s move away from major political parties due to poor representation

💰 The gender superannuation gap and her practical advice to young people about building super early

🏢 How flexibility created positive change during COVID and the current wind back in many organisations

📊 Gender fatigue and finding quick wins as change has been slower than initially hoped

🔬 The work SAGE is doing to increase gender equality in STEM and medicine through the Athena Swan structure

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a hugely influential Australian woman who was featured in the book 200 Women and has presented multiple times at the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women.

🎧 link in bio!

Address

Sydney, NSW
2034

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Samantha Sutherland posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Samantha Sutherland:

Shortcuts

Share

Category