How can workplaces combat gender bias and discrimination in data?

Data is fast becoming one of the world's most valuable resources. The amount of data produced has grown exponentially over the past decades, and is often the basis for decision-making in the workplace. But because data reflects our social world, it can often – even unconsciously – be skewed in ways that reinforce gender biases.

“Algorithms and data are becoming increasingly important,” says University of Melbourne economist Lía Acosta Rueda, “so we need to question how the use of biased data could exacerbate existing inequalities”.

Add to this the estimation that by 2030, more than 400 million individuals around the world could be displaced by new technologies, and it’s evident that acquiring new skills will be vital for demographic groups that historically have faced unequal opportunities in STEM areas and the labour market segments, such as women.

Skilling up

The University of Melbourne is launching a new MicroCert in Gender Bias and Discrimination in Data, aimed at professionals across a broad range of sectors interested in understanding how data’s inherent biases can have real impacts on organisational decision-making.

With the first intake starting on 14 February, the MicroCert has been co-designed with Grace Papers, workplace gender equality experts with a career coaching platform that empowers employees balancing family and care-giving responsibilities and people managers to lead flexible and inclusive teams.

Grace Papers CEO Prue Gilbert is excited about the potential of this new program.

"The modern workplace is increasingly reliant upon data to make decisions about everything from products to customer satisfaction to employee experience, and yet the impact of gender bias in our data sets undermines our efforts towards performance, profitability and workforce inclusion,” she explains. “I'm excited to have worked with the University of Melbourne to design a MicroCert that can accelerate our efforts in gender equality.”

Over the course of six weeks, students will be challenged to explore the unintended impacts of embedded gender bias and discrimination in data from a social science perspective. But most importantly, they’ll gain the knowledge to begin examining issues in their own organisations and to consider how to steer them towards making more gender-inclusive data-driven decisions.

Anthropologist Sophie Squires, who teaches into the course, believes that anyone can learn how gender biases embedded in data are impacting decisions being made in the workplace and beyond. “The importance of this knowledge cannot be understated when working towards equality”, she says.

Gilbert agrees, describing the MicroCert as “a complex subject that's been made accessible regardless of your experience with data or gender bias, with tools for practical application”, and recommending it as a sound investment for diversity and inclusion leaders, people and culture managers, and data scientists.

The MicroCert in Gender Bias and Discrimination is one of four in the Future of Women at Work series, developed by Professor Leah Ruppanner.

“The future of work is uncertain and women will need to reskill,” she says. “We are designing MicroCerts to do just that. With knowledge comes power and preparation for the future.”

Find out more about the MicroCert in Gender Bias and Discrimination in Data, commencing 14 February.