By Natalie D’Alessandro, BCom MBA
Since posting about the gender gap on stage at AMCA’s upcoming United in Compassion conference, a few voices have liked and commented. Thank you! Open conversation (especially the uncomfortable kind) is exactly what this industry needs more of. Please, keep it coming in the comments.
In 2026, anything less than 50% representation of women on stage is unacceptable.
Not next year, not eventually, not “over time.” Now.
The solution is straightforward: every time a man is on stage, an equally qualified woman should be beside him.
If she cannot travel at short notice, take time away from family, or face other barriers, we must keep solving the problems until the equitable outcome is reached. Anything else is a deliberate choice to exclude women. We all know this industry are master problem-solvers!
This seems like such and easy-solve if we all agree that gender equity is required in a healthcare setting.
Waiting for women to “engage over time” is like expecting an apple to jump out of your fruit bowl on its own. 🍎
An apple pie of Newton’s finest!
Come on guys, it's science! Without external force, inertia does not correct itself.
For the industry to ignore the gender gap at this event is, perhaps is at best uninformed, and at worst, ethically and morally compromising. This is why we need to actively step in, in order to correct it. And we need to do it now.
Here's six Newton-inspired reasons that explains what makes this so hard.
1. Newton’s First Law: The Law of Inertia
An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanceexternal force. Apply this to leadership in cannabis: a male-dominated system will remain male-dominated unless leaders intentionally intervene. Simply hoping women will “engage over time” is inertia in action. No applied force = no change.
2. Newton’s Second Law: Force and Acceleration
The second law tells us that acceleration is proportional to the force applied and inversely proportional to mass. In terms of participation rate: the more deliberate and strategic the action taken to correct inequity, the faster the system moves toward balance. Half-hearted gestures or passive encouragement do not generate meaningful acceleration. If the “mass” of systemic bias is heavy; it requires intentional and sustained force to overcome.
3. Newton’s Third Law: Action and Reaction
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Systems respond to leadership behaviour. If we actively create opportunities for women (speaking slots, board positions, mentorship) there is a direct reaction: the system changes.
If we do the opposite and ignore the problem, it actually get's worse. Whelp.
4. Gravity: The Pull of Structural Bias
Structural bias acts as a “gravitational pull” keeping us in the current state. Male-dominated networks, funding pathways, and active exclusion from Speaker slots, anchor the system in place. Without conscious effort to counteract it, "gravity" remain in their established patterns.
5. Momentum: Sustaining Change
Momentum is mass times velocity. And in a AUD$1 billion industry, systems with entrenched bias have enormous mass. Change will not happen passively or by hoping women will engage over time.
Leaders must apply deliberate, sustained force, both by removing barriers and creating space. Without intervention, the system remains inert. It's like expecting a 1-ton apple to jump from a fruit bowl.
6. Why Waiting Doesn’t Work
Expecting women to “show up over time” is a flawed premise.
Change requires force, planning, and sustained action.
What exactly are we waiting for?