Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Thanks to today’s partner Genea
There are 25 companies across the ASX 300 with no women in their executive leadership teams.
25! Including two retailers: Lovisa and Nick Scarli.
That 25 is up from 17 all-male teams in 2025. Meanwhile, today’s Census of women in leadership highlights other data points showing progress is going backwards.
Make no mistake, the figures reflect how a Trump-led diversity backlash is showing up in corporate Australia (among many other places).
Also today, Sydney Sweeney has another offensive ad. Thankfully, female athletes have already offered a range of brilliant responses to counter the Sweeney effect.
In another offensive ad, Rita Nasr sat through the AI-generated One Nation campaign and offered her perspective as a culturally diverse woman.
There's a new Press Secretary in the White House! Her first press conference was a shocker. We feel a little mean highlighting it on her first day, but then Katie Zacharia could have said no to the job.
And Megan Willis shares her excellent new research on the proportion of those who have experienced family violence who also report mental health disorders.
Angela Priestley
Founding Editor & Publisher
The Key Quote
I’ll have to get back to you on that.
Katie Zacharia
Donald Trump’s new press secretary, Katie Zacharia delivered a disastrous first press briefing at the White House and wasn’t able to answer a question about Ukraine.
On Women's Agenda Today
Drop in women in leadership as global backlash hits corporate Australia
First, the progress stalled. Now it’s gone backwards. The proportion of women in executive leadership in Australia is reversing. Read more +
Another offensive Sydney Sweeney ad lands to insult women again
Sydney Sweeney’s latest betting ad has reignited backlash over the sexualisation of women in sport and the cost of outrage-driven marketing. Read more +
Mental disorders are twice as common among victim‑survivors of intimate partner violence
New Australian research finds mental disorders are twice as common among intimate partner violence survivors, underscoring the need for accessible support. Read more +
I watched One Nation’s AI ad as a culturally diverse woman. Here’s what I saw
One Nation’s AI ad has drawn criticism for using racist stereotypes to fuel fear and division about migration in Australia. Read more +
The clock is ticking on Trump’s new press secretary after disastrous first briefing
Questions are already swirling around how long Donald Trump’s new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, will last. Read more +
The Key Figure
25
The number of ASX 300 companies that have no women executives. That’s according to the tenth Chief Executive Women Senior Executive Census.
The win
Sisters Alison Jackson and Nancy Kingsland donate $1 million to help First Nations medical students
A bequest from sisters Alison Jackson and Nancy Kingsland is helping First Nations medical students at Charles Darwin University (CDU) pursue their studies and prepare to serve their communities. The sisters left $1 million to CDU for remote health programs.
On The Women's Agenda Podcast
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