Annual Review 2018 | Page 57

Monash Cup Organised by the Monash University Student Association, the Monash Cup is one of the biggest annual events on campus. Five houses competed in a series of sporting events – badminton, chess, futsal, pool, table tennis and tug of war – to win the championship. Staff members gamely participated for the first time under House Cerberus. Photo by Ivan Liew and Daniel Sim for MONGA Gender and Inclusivity World Café for Women The World Café for Women@MonashMalaysia was held to celebrate International Women's Day, aligned closely with the United Nations' current theme 'Time is NOW - Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives' and the University's launch of the Gender Equity Taskforce. This inaugural event aimed to foster closer links between campus women in academia and administration, to hear women's voices, encourage collaborative dialogue, and explore diverse perspectives. The event intends to formulate realistic, constructive steps to better the lot of women within our campus, our local communities and Malaysia within the next decade. More than 80 participants attended the World Café and were encouraged to give their take on three challenging areas: the empowerment of women at Monash University Malaysia, hearing women’s voices in the media, and transforming underprivileged women. It is hoped that this group effort will catalyse future action plans on campus. Gender Equity Taskforce The Gender Equity Taskforce primarily plays an advisory role on the gender, diversity and inclusion affairs on campus, and serves as a platform for communication of all parties involved. Chaired by Associate Professor Jane Tong, the taskforce met three times in 2018 with a number of key developments: > Reports were received from the Director of Human Resources (HR) on their roll-out of a variety of policies and programs related to gender equity and women empowerment. > Students, supported by Student Life and Associate Professor Sharon Bong, implemented several programs over the year on gender sensitisation, discrimination and inclusivity issues. > Associate Professor Jane Tong on the Talent Management Committee provided expert opinion and advice regarding HR policy formulation and implementation. > A series of detailed recommendations regarding practices that could be added to the current Campus Plan to further promote a culture of inclusion at the University was tabled. 56