To celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Office for Small and Family Business spoke to five successful female business owners about gender equity and how meaningful change starts with a connected community, diversity of thought and joint action.
Lara Paholski, CEO of thelawstore.com.au says while the day celebrates the achievements of women, it is also a reminder to consciously prioritise a more diverse workplace.
“International Women’s Day is critical for us to regroup and have that platform each year to shine a light on the wonderful work that women are doing in workplaces,” she says.
It enables “every single person in business to think about what they are doing to promote and engender equality.”
For Lisa and Victoria Miranda from Lou Miranda Estate, creating meaningful change requires a community approach.
“Someone who is successful in business can pull up other people. It makes you want to be better when you see someone else doing it.”
Bec Wessels from Ochre Dawn says gender inequality and the gender pay gap continues to be an issue today.
“I can’t believe we still live in an age where there’s still a gender pay gap or where women are still being overlooked for roles because of their gender,” she said.
“To embrace equity means to embrace all areas of diversity and inclusion.”
Hayley Osborne, owner of hayleyosborne.com says the online world has vastly improved the opportunities for women in business, but there is still a long way to go.
“It really shines a light on how far women have come over the generations,” she says.
“The internet only came about over 25 years ago so we are more connected. It shows how much women have risen in this space. It also shines the spotlight on how far we have to go.”
To learn more about International Women’s Day, visit the UN Women Australia website.
