Dr Donna Bridges is a lecturer in sociology based at Charles Sturt University’s Bathurst campus, where she teaches a range of sociology subjects. Donna is a gender and work theorist and a feminist, qualitative researcher. Her work focuses on gender norms in society, gender constructions, workplace inequality, discrimination, and harassment. She has completed a PhD about women’s roles in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) – specifically in the areas of the combat arms and United Nations peacekeeping. During the PhD she undertook extensive interview research with women across the ADF. Her military research concentrates on the traditional roles of both genders within organisational cultures exploring organisational change as well as barriers to change. Her research interests span disciplines relating to gender and work, organisations, peace and conflict studies, hegemonic masculinities, feminisms, the power of discrimination and exclusion, and social justice.

She is currently working on two projects. “The Gendered Spaces of Social Work” analyses the gendered nature of the social work profession that focuses on gendered power and gendered dynamics in a female dominated profession. “Women in Regional Trades and resilience” explores the experience of women who work in the manual trade industries in Australia, specifically factors that contribute to women’s resilience and success in the manual trades. Donna also has research interests in the areas of qualitative research, teaching, and learning in higher education and professional development.