Welcome, the Hon Kevin Andrews, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, honoured guests, our finalists and our seven sponsors for their invaluable support in staging today’s event, thanks to AIG, Alcoa, Autoliv, CBA, Ford, IBM, McDonalds.

Welcome everybody to our third EOWA Business Achievement Awards.

I am experiencing mixed emotions standing before you today, I feel honoured and proud because EOWA has created an unstoppable momentum, achieving diverse opportunities for women that manifest themselves in all areas of business today.

I feel slightly overwhelmed and reaffirmed that in our third year, the number of CEO’s attending has increased dramatically and our awards are now sought after in the corporate world as we showcase and celebrate today’s winners.

When I consider what has taken place in the last month since we launched our second EOWA women in leadership census, I feel exhilarated and energised.

Here are a few examples of why:

• The level of media awareness has increased dramatically.

• Our EOWA census now has a life of its own and is regularly referred to in business articles and is responsible for provoking discussion leading to action on “How do we get more women leaders in forums?’’ eg AIRC

• Two weeks ago at senate estimates, where opposition parties question government departments about their policy and spending; the issue was raised around the need for more female commissioners at the industrial relations commission and what is the Government doing about it, this question would not have been asked a year ago.

• For the first time in our legal profession there is an honest debate raging around the fundamental issue of underutilisation of highly skilled and trained women in legal practice who having jumped through all the hoops not getting their share of work.

• And at EOWA we have just completed 10 interviews with leading CEOs, many of who are here today, for our book entitled “Chief Executives Unplugged – business leaders get real about women in the workplace” which will be launched in March 2004.

Woman and business are on the agenda. We have a public debate happening out there which has been non existent since the 80s. We are at the tipping point and thanks to many of you the upsurge is building and continues to gain momentum. You are aware that women seek places that are transparent and collaborative, that respect relationships as the bedrock of all good businesses.

Unfortunately, we still have organisations headed up by toxic bosses who create unfriendly work environments.

• Toxic bosses claim to like women, but they like them strictly as ornaments not as power players.

• Toxic bosses aren’t overtly outrageously sexist except in the occasional emails and they’re not even impossible for work for but they do create alienating macho cultures in which it’s tough for women to survive. Many of you would be aware of the phenomena.

Conversely I am heartened to hear the stories from some of our leading CEOs, many of whom are in this room today, who forgo the traditional aspects of male collusion that negates networking opportunities for women and deliver a mentoring role.

What women want are companies that look a lot more like a network than a pyramid. Companies where fairness is a given, companies that value what is ethical above what is expedient and this certainly parallels the business rhetoric of how successful business needs to operate in the 21st century.

I believe one major key to changing the game starts with honesty. When I talk to women I am always struck by their honesty, their directness and their lack of posturing. Honesty has a way of releasing energy – the kind of energy that business desperately needs to embrace. Time after time I have witnessed the paralysis that sets in when people are afraid to tell each other the truth.

I’m sure we all agree that in order to move forward senior leaders need to assume accountability for women’s advancement and that our shared vision can create an undeniable groundswell. A shared vision will motivate and energise people, create a proactive orientation, give direction to people within the organisation, establish specific standards of excellence, and create a clear agenda for action.

Your attendance today signals a commitment to making a difference. Congratulations and thank you. By committing to a shared vision of success of diversity in our society and celebrating the untold wealth of knowledge and understanding which results from that commitment, you are making a difference which will affect the overall fabric of our society.

I challenge each of you to be courageous and honest in our quest to go beyond the tipping point by role modelling your commitment, creating an environment for women to share their stories, and armed with facts and strategies, move forward with energy to achieve honest workplaces where women feel valued and are given the opportunity to excel.

Thank you.

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