• Entry type: Organisation
  • Entry ID: AWE26060391

Women in Science Enquiry Network (WISENET)

(From 1984 – 2017) Wisenet
  • Occupation Social action organisation

Summary

WISENET (Women in Science Enquiry Network) was founded in Australia in 1984 to examine reasons for the low number of women in science in Australia, to explore ways to address the inequity and to support those women already in or preparing for a career in science.

A key mechanism for communicating with members across Australia was the WISENET Journal, produced between 1985 and 2010.  The Journals were usually A4 in size, 20 to 30 pages long, and well illustrated with photos and cartoons.  All 84 issues are held by the National Library of Australia and are now a rich source of information about WISENET activities through those years.

Details

WISENET was initiated by a group of women in Canberra, mostly from the Australian National University (ANU) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).  An Australia-wide network of groups with similar interests was soon developed and the WISENET Journal launched.

Activities that WISENET organised or participated in and that are reported in the Journals included arranging members’ meetings and guest speakers, lobbying politicians and providing advice to governments and employers on gender issues in science, working with state Education Departments on activities to encourage girls at high school to consider a career in science, profiling women scientists in a diversity of scientific areas, organising national exhibitions and conferences, and reporting international developments for women in science.

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Archival resources

  • National Library of Australia, Manuscript Collection
    • Records of the Women in Science Enquiry Network 

Published resources

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