ISACA Board Director Joins Australian Delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
Announcement posted by ICON International Communications 16 Feb 2018
Jo Stewart-Rattray will assist the UN to further gender equality throughout the world
Sydney, Australia (16 February 2018) — Jo Stewart-Rattray, ISACA board director and director of information security and IT Assurance, BRM Holdich, has been selected to join the Australian Government delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), where she will lend her expertise on empowering rural women and girls through the use of technology.
During the CSW’s 62nd session to take place 12-23 March 2018, representatives of 193 UN member states, civil society organisations and UN entities will gather at UN headquarters in New York. They will discuss past progress, gaps and emerging issues affecting gender equality, with an emphasis on how technology can impact the lives of rural women. The Commission will then draw conclusions and adopt resolutions outlining an improved path forward.
Stewart-Rattray will be one of two non-government delegates to join the team of eight delegates representing Australia this year. These non-government delegates play an invaluable role by ensuring a broad range of views are represented at CSW, providing their expert advice to the Australian government and acting as liaisons with Australian and international civil society organisations. Australia is one of few governments that allows non-government delegates to join the sessions.
The Commission has achieved significant progress in advancing gender equality through landmark agreements, such as contributing to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, creating the 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women, which was the first international law instrument to recognise and protect the political rights of women, and devising the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1979.
“I am extremely humbled, honoured and excited to help represent Australia and to address gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls on an international stage,” Stewart-Rattray said. “We hope to accomplish a great deal during our time together to further gender equality and empowerment.”
Stewart-Rattray is chair of ISACA’s Women’s Leadership Council and a leading champion of ISACA’s SheLeadsTech program, which seeks to increase the representation of women in technology leadership roles and in the tech workforce globally. Stewart-Rattray, who hails from the Australian bush, is especially enthused that the upcoming session will focus on improving opportunities for women from rural backgrounds as well as women’s participation in and access to information and communications technology.
“I have made it my mission to make sure that women and girls across Australia have the opportunity to make choices about their lives and their careers,” Stewart-Rattray said. “My experience with ISACA’s SheLeadsTech program was one of the main reasons I was selected as part of the delegation, and I deeply appreciate the doors that ISACA continues to open for me in my career. As a girl from the Australian bush, I hope this encourages other women in rural areas and cities alike to persevere and follow their dreams.”
A lack of mentors and female role models, gender bias, and unequal growth opportunities compared to men are barriers to women in the tech workforce, according to ISACA’s 2017 research, The Future Tech Workforce: Breaking Gender Barriers. Additionally, UN Women cites estimates that as much as US $28 trillion, or 26 per cent, could be added to the global annual gross domestic product by 2025 if women played an identical role to men in labour markets.
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About Jo Stewart-Rattray:
Jo Stewart-Rattray, CISA, CISM, CGEIT, CRISC, FACS CP, serves on ISACA’s board of directors, chairs ISACA’s Women’s Leadership Council, and is director of information security and IT assurance at BRM Holdich, a South Australian-based chartered accounting and commercial advisory practice. Stewart-Rattray has more than 25 years’ experience in the IT field, including experience as CIO for a utility and almost 20 years in information security. She underpins her IT and security background with her qualifications in education and management. She specialises in consulting on governance and strategy for industry sectors, including banking, finance, utilities, automotive manufacturing, tertiary education, retail and government.
Stewart-Rattray contributes to cybersecurity-related research initiatives and sits on the Australian Computer Society’s National Congress. She is past international vice president of ISACA; past president of the ISACA Adelaide Chapter; and past chair of ISACA’s Audit Committee, Leadership Development Committee and Security Management Committee.
About United Nations Commission on the Status of Women:
The Commission on the Status of Women is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it was established in June 1946. The CSW is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
About ISACA
Nearing its 50th year, ISACA® (isaca.org) is a global association helping individuals and enterprises achieve the positive potential of technology. Today’s world is powered by technology, and ISACA equips professionals with the knowledge, credentials, education and community to advance their careers and transform their organisations. ISACA leverages the expertise of its half-million engaged professionals in information and cybersecurity, governance, assurance, risk and innovation, as well as its enterprise performance subsidiary, CMMI® Institute, to help advance innovation through technology. ISACA has a presence in more than 188 countries, including more than 215 chapters worldwide and offices in both the United States and China.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ISACANews
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/isaca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ISACAHQ
Instagram: www.instagram.com/isacanews/
Contact:
Julie Fenwick, jfenwick@daylightagency.com.au, +61 468 901 655
Harriet Hall, hhall@daylightagency.com.au, +61 401 068 041
Michelle Micor, mmicor@isaca.org, +0011 1 847 385 7217
During the CSW’s 62nd session to take place 12-23 March 2018, representatives of 193 UN member states, civil society organisations and UN entities will gather at UN headquarters in New York. They will discuss past progress, gaps and emerging issues affecting gender equality, with an emphasis on how technology can impact the lives of rural women. The Commission will then draw conclusions and adopt resolutions outlining an improved path forward.
Stewart-Rattray will be one of two non-government delegates to join the team of eight delegates representing Australia this year. These non-government delegates play an invaluable role by ensuring a broad range of views are represented at CSW, providing their expert advice to the Australian government and acting as liaisons with Australian and international civil society organisations. Australia is one of few governments that allows non-government delegates to join the sessions.
The Commission has achieved significant progress in advancing gender equality through landmark agreements, such as contributing to the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, creating the 1953 Convention on the Political Rights of Women, which was the first international law instrument to recognise and protect the political rights of women, and devising the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1979.
“I am extremely humbled, honoured and excited to help represent Australia and to address gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls on an international stage,” Stewart-Rattray said. “We hope to accomplish a great deal during our time together to further gender equality and empowerment.”
Stewart-Rattray is chair of ISACA’s Women’s Leadership Council and a leading champion of ISACA’s SheLeadsTech program, which seeks to increase the representation of women in technology leadership roles and in the tech workforce globally. Stewart-Rattray, who hails from the Australian bush, is especially enthused that the upcoming session will focus on improving opportunities for women from rural backgrounds as well as women’s participation in and access to information and communications technology.
“I have made it my mission to make sure that women and girls across Australia have the opportunity to make choices about their lives and their careers,” Stewart-Rattray said. “My experience with ISACA’s SheLeadsTech program was one of the main reasons I was selected as part of the delegation, and I deeply appreciate the doors that ISACA continues to open for me in my career. As a girl from the Australian bush, I hope this encourages other women in rural areas and cities alike to persevere and follow their dreams.”
A lack of mentors and female role models, gender bias, and unequal growth opportunities compared to men are barriers to women in the tech workforce, according to ISACA’s 2017 research, The Future Tech Workforce: Breaking Gender Barriers. Additionally, UN Women cites estimates that as much as US $28 trillion, or 26 per cent, could be added to the global annual gross domestic product by 2025 if women played an identical role to men in labour markets.
###
About Jo Stewart-Rattray:
Jo Stewart-Rattray, CISA, CISM, CGEIT, CRISC, FACS CP, serves on ISACA’s board of directors, chairs ISACA’s Women’s Leadership Council, and is director of information security and IT assurance at BRM Holdich, a South Australian-based chartered accounting and commercial advisory practice. Stewart-Rattray has more than 25 years’ experience in the IT field, including experience as CIO for a utility and almost 20 years in information security. She underpins her IT and security background with her qualifications in education and management. She specialises in consulting on governance and strategy for industry sectors, including banking, finance, utilities, automotive manufacturing, tertiary education, retail and government.
Stewart-Rattray contributes to cybersecurity-related research initiatives and sits on the Australian Computer Society’s National Congress. She is past international vice president of ISACA; past president of the ISACA Adelaide Chapter; and past chair of ISACA’s Audit Committee, Leadership Development Committee and Security Management Committee.
About United Nations Commission on the Status of Women:
The Commission on the Status of Women is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it was established in June 1946. The CSW is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women.
About ISACA
Nearing its 50th year, ISACA® (isaca.org) is a global association helping individuals and enterprises achieve the positive potential of technology. Today’s world is powered by technology, and ISACA equips professionals with the knowledge, credentials, education and community to advance their careers and transform their organisations. ISACA leverages the expertise of its half-million engaged professionals in information and cybersecurity, governance, assurance, risk and innovation, as well as its enterprise performance subsidiary, CMMI® Institute, to help advance innovation through technology. ISACA has a presence in more than 188 countries, including more than 215 chapters worldwide and offices in both the United States and China.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ISACANews
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/isaca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ISACAHQ
Instagram: www.instagram.com/isacanews/
Contact:
Julie Fenwick, jfenwick@daylightagency.com.au, +61 468 901 655
Harriet Hall, hhall@daylightagency.com.au, +61 401 068 041
Michelle Micor, mmicor@isaca.org, +0011 1 847 385 7217