Launched in 2022, Realise. Inspire. Support. Energise. (RISE) will be finishing in June 2026. This visionary project aims to build pathways to leadership for women from culturally and racially marginalised (CARM) backgrounds. It was designed to identify and break down systemic barriers and to assist organisations in supporting women in middle management to reach senior leadership positions within their organisations.
RISE is a collaborative project between Diversity Council Australia (DCA), Settlement Services International (SSI) and Chief Executive Women (CEW) and is funded by the Australian government Office for Women through the Women’s Leadership and Development Program (WLDP) 2022-2026.
The RISE project worked with 25 organisations across Australia to implement organisational change interventions to help address systemic and organisational barriers and support progression to leadership positions.
Why do we need the RISE project?
We know that CARM women face structural barriers when it comes to career advancement. DCA’s research has shown that CARM women in leadership in Australia are few and far between as systemic barriers remain in place. The research highlights that although CARM women are ambitious, capable, and resilient, they still experience a range of entrenched systemic barriers in Australian workplaces. These include:
- being assessed against biased leadership models
- not having access to influential social networks where promotion decisions are often made
- not having their voices or lived experience centred.
This is why the RISE project worked with organisations and CARM women to support them in designing and implementing lasting organisational change interventions that will address the root causes of the barriers that CARM women face.
Collaborate to create change
The 25 participating organisations of the RISE project were provided with the following elements to effect change:
- an organisational self-assessment tool (ASSESS to RISE), completed by an internal project team and 15 CARM women in middle management in each organisation. The tool diagnosed key systemic barriers locking CARM women middle managers out of leadership.
- an Action Plan template provided a strategic framework for organisations to create their own strategic action plan. DCA provided high level support with creating the action plan and organisations drove the implementation of the plan. Organisations are were able to take part in a community of practice with other participating organisations.
- a suite of training programs including DCA’s Racism at Work training program, SSI’s Cultural Responsiveness training program, and CEW’s Leadership Development training program
- a Support Model for advancing CARM women’s leadership skills provided 15 CARM women in each organisation with coaching, mentoring, sponsorship, and a career advancement plan, so they can better leverage their leadership skills and progress in their careers.
Participants, supporters, and staff of the RISE Project at the final networking event in Melbourne.
News and updates
- Breaking barriers for all women and girls this International Women’s Day: Think intersectionality!
- More major organisations commit to breaking barriers for CARM Women
- DCA calls on organisations to take an intersectional approach to gender equality
- Five prominent Australian organisations to join the RISE Project
- Arup & UTS join RISE project pilot
- DCA reveals Expert Panel to address barriers for CARM women in leadership
- New program launching to address barriers for women in leadership