The Women’s CEO Sue Matthews made the keynote speech at the Ramaciotti Awards last night where she praised the work of female researchers and philanthropists.
Dr Matthews told the audience at the Ramaciotti Awards that women were less likely than men to have a profile for their philanthropy and medical research.
“We need to understand the differences in the way men and women think about these things,” she said.
“I believe that we need to be brave, we need to make the ‘She change’ – to fund and lead research that is gender specific (not gender neutral). We need to support women who are leaders in philanthropy and in medicine. I believe that if we do, we will be forever changed.”
Highlighting the success of female scientists at the Women’s eight research centres, Sue told the audience, “Six of them are headed by women. And all six of them are internationally renowned.”
The Ramaciotti Foundations are collectively one of the largest private contributors to biomedical research in Australia, and have granted close to $55 million to research projects since Vera Ramaciotti established the Ramaciotti Foundations to support biomedical research in 1970.