IWD2022: Inspiring The Next Generation of Female Leaders
Leading SA girls’ College Principal Dr Nicole Archard is on a mission to shape a new generation of female leaders equipped with the knowledge and confidence to #BreaktheBias.
As a passionate advocate for girls’ education, Dr Archard embodies the ability for strong female leadership to challenge stereotypes and bring impactful change to the world around us this International Women’s Day.
Since her appointment as Principal of Loreto College Marryatville in 2016, Dr Archard has spearheaded the schools focus on implementing programs to help shape the next generation of female leaders.
“There can be no greater honour than educating girls. I’ve always believed education can change people’s lives, as it has my own. And I believe passionately in the capacity of girls and women. What I love most about my role at Loreto is helping girls to become women of influence and change” says Dr Archard.
Speaking further to this Dr Archard suggests the best way to create the next generation of empowered women is to #BreakTheBias and develop a non-stereotypical understanding of the world for our young girls.
“Whilst we can continue to challenge the social and cultural constructions of gender by calling these out and offering alternative narratives, we also need to focus on developing girls with non-stereotypical understandings of the roles, behaviours and expectations that are available to them.”
“Girls are developing an understanding of their gendered expectations from the moment they are born. We tell girls to be careful, we tell them to be nice, we tell them not to get dirty, we tell them they are pretty, and we quieten their voices. Basically, we tell girls to colour between the lines, to comply and to be seen but not heard. When we do this, we hamper girls’ development as confident and strong individuals who will take risks, not worry about getting something wrong, and bounce back from setbacks. These are the key attributes we need to master in order to successfully fulfil leadership roles during our working lives.”
With a Doctor in Philosophy in Gender, Girls’ Education, Women and Leadership, in addition to three Masters’ degrees, Dr Archard personally exemplifies the power of education in challenging and overcoming gender biases and takes this view into her role as Principal of Loreto College.
“What we do in a girls’ school is create an environment where girls learn to have a voice. They learn to be able to put themselves forward so that they will have a seat at the table” says Dr Archard.
Same-sex schools in Australia are in the minority. And yet, when challenged on whether adopting a co-education model is a wiser way to set girls up for the ‘real world’, Dr Archard countered in a 2018 60 Minutes interview with a stark insight into the reality still faced by Australian women.
“The real world? Well, let’s look at the real world, shall we? There’s actually gender inequity. We don’t have equal pay. We don’t have an equal number of women in leadership positions as men. And yet girls have higher educational outcomes than what boys do. At Loreto, we’re not trying to replicate the real world – we’re trying to challenge it.”
Solidifying these comments Dr Archard has continually advocated for the benefits of girl’s education in shaping future female leaders. Arguing this model of schooling young girls to challenge the gender stereotypes placed upon them, develop a confident and articulate voice, develop leadership capacity in all forums, and importantly build self-confidence.
Under the leadership of Dr Archard, Loreto College was awarded gold in the 2019 Innovative Schools awards and, more recently, was recognised in the 2021 Australian Education Awards for one of the nations Best Student Wellbeing Programs.
About Loreto College
Loreto College Marryatville is South Australia’s leading all-girls day and boarding schools, catering for students from Early Learning to Year 12.
Established in 1905, a Loreto education is built on a 400-year-old tradition first inspired by the founder of Loreto schools worldwide, Mary Ward, and encapsulates her beliefs in delivering an education which inspires strong, passionate, and confident girls and young women.
In delivering this view, Loreto College Marryatville provides girls with a well-rounded education where students are presented with a broad range of opportunities and given the support and encouragement to become confident and engaged learners with the knowledge and skills to make a difference to their world.
Shannon Muscolino