Chief executives, business leaders, sponsors, judges, award finalists, past winners, ladies and gentleman,

On behalf of the staff at the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency it is my pleasure to welcome you here today. We are delighted that so many have joined us to celebrate the commitment of Australian businesses to equal opportunity and the advancement of women.

Unfortunately the Minister for Employment Workplace Relations, the Hon Kevin Andrews and a number of his colleagues were unable to be here given the opening of the 41st Parliament today. He sends his congratulations to the award finalists.

The Government is committed to providing greater opportunity for women as they balance competing priorities.

During the election, the Government reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a strong emphasis on equal opportunity for women in the workplace and promoting these principles in the private and public sector. Initiatives like the 30% childcare costs rebate will go towards increasing the participation of women.

Since taking on the role of Director of EOWA over four months ago, I have been encouraged by the growing number of leading Australian employers that see equal opportunity as a strategic business opportunity, that if done well, improves decision making, enhances reputation, improves working relationships and increases profits.

Employers like our sponsors the Australian Industry Group, Alcoa World Alumina, Autoliv, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, ExxonMobil, Hays, IBM and McDonald’s. Like the Windsor Hotel an Employer of Choice for Women, which is looking after my staff so well while we are here in Melbourne and of course the many companies that are represented here today as guests or as award contenders.

Taking the Agency forward, as Director my role is an exciting but challenging one.

The challenge of building awareness around the hidden barriers that prevent many women from advancing in business.

The Challenge of getting the work / life balance right for women and men with or without families, and getting it right for business; and

The challenge of really addressing the issues of pay equity, so that women that have contributed to the economy, worked and supported families do not end up in poverty in their most senior years.

EOWA is well placed to help business address these challenges as a trusted partner.

I have a number of priorities to meet these challenges:

First, I have put in place a new structure to provide flexibility so that the Agency is better able to respond to the needs of business in the areas of equal opportunity. This includes providing reporting organisations with experienced Client Assessors that understand business, and expanding the workshops and consultancy services that we offer businesses throughout the year.

Second, using the shared learning of the thousands of companies that report to EOWA annually to promote equal opportunity for women in the workplace.

I see the shared learning as an incredible resource for both government and business - big and small. We can identify best practice, we know the difficulties that some businesses face and the initiatives that are being put in place to remove discrimination on gender. Next month we will be releasing the first of a series of industry vertical papers. So watch this space.

And Third, to expand our research. Building on the successful Census of Women in Leadership which ANZ and EOWA released last month, my priority is to provide relevant research that business can use to develop the business case for organisational change but importantly how to implement that change.

Events like today’s Business Achievement Awards also enable us to work towards meeting these challenges, by rewarding innovation and best practice and showcasing to the broader business community the business case for diversity.

In past years the Business Achievement Awards have shared the spotlight with the EOWA Employer of Choice for Women citation. By separating them and announcing the Citation early next year, we aim to promote the successful organisations to the job market - recruiters, school leavers, graduates and experienced talented women looking for something better. The list will be launched in the February issue of Vive Magazine, today’s media sponsor.

With access to a skilled workforce becoming an issue, the new battleground for business is about retention and specifically how organisations are going to retain women. With an ageing demographic and men still retiring earlier than in other OECD countries, together with discerning generation X and Y, organisations which are able to successfully attract and retain women will have a competitive advantage.

As our finalists know, it will require a change of mindset, management style and a new approach.

If organisations don’t rise to the challenge and adopt more flexible work practices, their only way to identify these talented women will be during exit interviews as these women seek more exciting and worthwhile choices which will enable them to contribute to the economy and the community while also juggling family or other pursuits.

Last weekend I was at a wedding in Noosa, a time of celebration as is today. I sat next to a mother, whose daughter a talented Intellectual Property lawyer had become a mother herself 10 months ago. This new mother, is now back at work full time. She was told that she couldn’t return part time and if she didn’t return at all, she would have to payback her paid leave. She cries everyday because she can’t do it all and feels she is failing both as a lawyer and a mother, yet she is one of the approximate 40% of women identified by Catherine Hakim, who want and need to have both a career and a family. As soon as she has paid out her indenture, she will leave and seek out work that is more flexible. This law firm, like many other businesses are the ones failing.

Failing women.
Failing their clients.
Failing their shareholders.
But most importantly failing to recognise equal opportunity as a strategic business opportunity, that if done well,
Improves decision making
Enhances reputation
Improves working relationships; and
Increases profits.

Thank fully today, we are here to acknowledge success rather than dwell on failure.

We are delighted that there is a growing interest in these awards from business.

Women at all levels of the workforce face their own set of challenges. Apprentices straight from school, career women, Aboriginal women, migrant women, women starting a family, women managing both work and a family, mature women returning to the workforce and those women not quite ready for retirement. They all have their own ambitions from just doing their job well to taking on formal leadership positions within their organisations. The work of EOWA needs to support business so that all their ambitions can be met.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our finalists for doing their bit, no matter how simple, to help women realise their ambition in the workplace, and I look forward to working with many of you in the future.

Thank you.

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