It’s International Women’s Day, a celebratory day started in the early 1900s to recognise the strides made for women’s and girls’ human rights and a reminder of the challenges still ahead. So, here we are in 2013 and what is there to celebrate? As an woman living in Australia, I feel pretty darn lucky that my human rights are protected. I, and women like me, don’t need to battle to get an education and there are role models of women working in every area of business. There’s still a lot to fix However, many women in Australia still don’t enjoy:
- equal pay (despite equal ability)
- easy access to childcare to help facilitate an easy return to work after having children
- flexible workplace environments to allow a better work/life balance between work and family commitments
And, the lack of representation of women on boards is a well-reported mystery, in a country where there are women more than capable and skilled to fill those available roles. Despite this, the business landscape is well-dotted with women in leadership roles – in roles they themselves created by starting their own business. And, they are doing great work and worthy of great recognition.
And there’s much to celebrate – Women coming into their own as business owners
Today I want to pay tribute to the strides that women in Australia have made in entrepreneurship. I want to celebrate the over 1 million business owners who are part of the business community. This week’s announcement of the 2013 Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame inductees recognises 18 great Aussie female business owners — all inspiring role models for the rest of us. With the Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame, we celebrate women in business who are giving back to their communities and women in areas as diverse as marine technology, fruit juice, fashion and home renovation products. They are from country and rural Australia and from our big cities. They are single, married, young and old. They cater to local communities (creating jobs where it’s hard to find work) and they are building international brands. Each of them has harnessed what they could – access to any finance they could get, the generosity of friends and family, the kind words of mentors and the power of technology, to build remarkable businesses. These women are all stars and role models. Although they are a small sample of a rich community of entrepreneurs, their stories mirror back to all of us who have chosen to be our own boss, the power of a vision, the drive to succeed (and to keep going despite many excuses to quit) and the desire to make a difference through our work. I am inspired by their courage. Every day. Happy International Women’s Day. Suzi
