In celebration of International Women’s Day on 8 March, the unveiling of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network Hall of Fame for 2014 is a fitting reminder of the role women play in Australia’s business arena.
From food and finance to philanthropy and floristry, this year’s inductees showcase a diverse range of women highly skilled in business leadership and entrepreneurial pursuits.
To show your support for women here in Australia and abroad, in business or otherwise, there are great events to attend on the day (8 March), and in the following weeks.
Commonwealth Bank’s Women in Focus community is partnering with local philanthropy groups to host Women’s Day celebrations across the country.
On 6 March in Sydney, NSW, you are invited to join Women in Focus and the Sydney Community Foundation for a day of song, dance, food and community stories. Author, activist and social commentator Dr Anita Heiss will also be a guest speaker at the event.
Sydney Women in Focus Event Details
Date: Thursday 6 March 2014
Time: 10am to 1pm
Venue: Warwick Farm Neighbourhood Centre
Tickets: $35 plus booking fee includes entry and transport. All proceeds go to Sydney Community Foundation.
Visit the Women in Focus website to view the dates and locations for events in other states and territories that will be running throughout March and April.
There are also some fantastic events for International Women’s Day that celebrate and examine women in business. Here are the top picks:
NSW
On International Women’s Day, Vanessa Bennett will host a FREE Lifestyle Seminar – SATURDAY 8TH MARCH, 11.00AM, at the fivemore store, 394 Oxford Street, Paddington, Sydney (directly opposite The Markets).
Inside 80 Performance is a global firm which helps individuals and companies to apply sports and exercise principles of energy management to the workplace to help them maximise their energy and productivity firstly at work and then holistically throughout their lives.
VIC
The Australian Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry (AWCCI) is holding a ‘Women in the Chain’ lunch in Melbourne on 5 March. Celebrated advertising writer and Destroy the Joint campaigner Jane Caro will be hosting the lunch, and will discuss the exclusion of women from supply chains alongside a panel of reputable authorities.
QLD
The Australian Institute of Management (AIM) is hosting the International Women’s Day Debate on March 8 in Brisbane. The Queensland-based speakers will be delving into the Australian gender agenda.
SA
On 6 March, Adelaide’s Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers is hosting Inspiring Change for International Women’s Day. The event will feature Dr Jana Matthews, one of the world’s leading experts in entrepreneurial business growth. She is also recognised as one of 18 Women Business Gurus worldwide.
For more information click here.
WA
The 2014 Edith Cowan Memorial Lecture: Knock on Wood- A Call to Action will be presented by Diane Smith-Gander on 7 March in Perth.
In addition to nation-wide events, some extra resources are also launching to celebrate International Women’s Day.
One of these is the Australian Taxation Office launching a “Women and Super” campaign, aiming to encourage Australian women to take control of their super and increase their retirement savings by taking 5 simple steps.
Women in Australia generally have significantly less super than men, leaving them financially vulnerable in their retirement years. An assessment of super balances recently showed that in 2009-10, the average retirement payout was $112,600 for women and $198,000 for men. There are many reasons why women might have less super to retire on than men. These include career breaks to raise children, working part-time to care for children and pay inequality. As a result, many women rely on the government age pension (approximately $19,469 p.a.) as their main source of retirement income.
Wherever you are this International Women’s Day, make sure to attend an event that celebrates women and all their accomplishments.
