Careers for Graduates with Women's Studies majors
Beccie
After completing a Commerce/Arts degree at Monash where I majored in Women's Studies and Economics, I am currently undertaking a graduate law degree at La Trobe University. I chose La Trobe based on its social justice framework.
The Women's Studies subjects I undertook helped me realise my interest in the way issues such as inequality and human rights interact with our legal system. I decided that I needed to learn more about the way the law works.
I have recently had part of the research project I completed in the Women's Studies core subject WMN3020 'Feminist Research' published in the Journal of Law and Medicine. It is titled: "Abortion in Australia: Access vs Protest." The article examines women's right to access abortion services free from harassment, obstruction, intimidation and invasion of privacy, versus protester's right to free speech.
The article is limited to a legal framework. The larger research project I completed in WMN3020 also covered a human rights framework. That paper has been distributed to numerous politicians, the health commissioner, and the attorney general (three times via different people!) in an attempt to lobby for protective bubble zones which would restrict protesters from approaching women as they access abortion providing services.
Celeste
"How did someone studying an arts degree with a women's studies major end up in Human Resource Management? Well, I'm not actually sure myself. In the beginning, I was recruited through the Victorian Public Service Graduate Recruitment Scheme. This scheme recruits graduates for all of the eight Victorian Government Departments. The scheme is unique in that it offers graduates the opportunity to work in three different departments in the Victorian Public Service in 12 months. It's a fantastic way to try out your skills in work places that you have absolutely no experience or background in. I had a four month placement with my home placement - Human Resources and then I moved onto to two other departments for two four-month placements (Department of Human Services - Disability Services and Department of Infrastructure - Ports and Marine). I am currently working in Human Resource Management in the Department of Justice. My role is coordination and project management. I coordinate and manage the Graduate Recruitment Scheme for the Department of Justice and manage various projects from the Leadership Management Development Strategy including a Women Leaders in Justice Scholarship and a Leadership Competency and Development Database. Women's Studies has been invaluable to me in my role for two reasons:
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The content of the major gave me an enhanced awareness of inequity in our society. This has transferred into my work by being more inclusive of minority groups through recruitment and selection of graduates and through the women's scholarship project which seeks to improve the representation of women at senior levels in the organisation.
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The skills and confidence acquired through my study i.e. presentation, writing, research, discussion and analytical skills, I use daily. From a professional perspective, graduates with analytical skills and an inquiring mind are the best. From a personal perspective, the most important skill I gained was confidence. Women's Studies gave me such enjoyment and positive feedback from my lecturers and fellow students that it inspired me to achieve."
June
"I currently work part-time as a TAFE librarian in a specialized Building and Furnishings Information Commons. The women's studies subjects I undertook helped me realise some of the reasons why women artists, designers, architects, writers etc are not as well known or extensively represented in the collection. This is something that is slowly being rectified. My studies gave me the confidence to say with conviction that I am a feminist and why that is so important to me."
Rae
"Since undertaking my BA major in women's studies (and then honours in Psychology) I've pursued postgraduate training in clinical psychology with a supplementary specialisation in forensic psychology. I have recently submitted my doctoral thesis. During my doctoral studies I worked in several diverse areas of clinical psychology in Victorian mental health services ranging from work at Monash Medical Centre's Breast Care Lymphoedema Service through to Adult Psychiatry in hospital settings, to Victorian's Family Institute and The Bouverie Centre's Clinical and Community Services Program. My clinical practice is underpinned by feminist principles: working in a collaborative, responsive, and respectful way with individuals, families and other carers. Moreover, the overarching ideology that imbues feminist psychotherapy is that throughout the process of therapy there must be a commitment to specifically explore political, social, economic, and ecological concerns that engender psychological symptomatology for women. These tenets also infuse my research and writing. My most recent paper in preparation for publication is entitled:"Corroboration Warnings in Australian Child Sexual Abuse Trials: Out-Dated and Contra-Indicated by Feminist and Empiricist Psychology?" In the future, I hope to pursue a scientist-practitioner career that combines clinical work with academic research in the areas of women's psychological health, developmental psychopathology, narrative and positive psychology. I also intend to utilise my forensic training to provide advocacy for women and children who have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault and contribute to the critical analysis of women's experiences within our forensic system."