Women kicking goals in business

Women are increasingly making their mark in decision making in NSW workplaces with females holding almost 40 per cent of managerial roles, compared to 35 per cent a decade ago.

Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor said it was great to see women having such an impact in the workforce in NSW.

“The new numbers show that we are making great strides towards equal participation in leadership roles – and it’s so fantastic that we are talking about this on International Women’s Day,” she said.

“Female talent brings with it a broad range of real-world experience and I am delighted to see the increased opportunities opening up for women in management and business ownership.”

Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said less than one in four startups in NSW had been founded by women.

“Our State has brilliant women in the startup space and we need to continue to provide the right support for them to flourish and inspire the next generation of businesswomen,” he said.

“The Sydney Startup Hub and its associated programs are an excellent example of the NSW Government’s commitment to help women in startups.”

Minister for Small Business Damien Tudehope said NSW had one of the highest proportions of women in small business in Australia.

“Women also account for almost two-thirds of NSW Government sector employees.

“They make a valuable contribution to the workforce and it’s great to see these successes being appropriately celebrated today,” he said.

The NSW Women’s Strategy 2018-2022 aims to encourage more women into small business and includes workshops in regional and rural areas and to deliver Tafe NSW’s online education program to women.

One business that has benefited from NSW Government support is Super-Rewards, a shopping platform which helps women grow their super balance by directing a percentage of their purchases to their superannuation.

Founder Pascale Helyar-Moray said government investment was helping to grow the business.

“Women retire with only enough superannuation for six years, which translates to about half of what men retire with and we saw that as a real issue,” she said.

“Since we started, we’ve had thousands of users sign up to the platform and we’re seeing hundreds of thousands of sales processed through the platform.”

The initiative launched in October with 100 retailers on board and that number has grown to 170.

Super-Rewards is a finalist in the Australian Small Business Champion Awards 2020 and Pascale has been nominated as a finalist in the Empowered Woman Awards of The Leadership Institute (ANZ).

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

FURTHER READING

The human tapestry of unique neurotypes

There is a slow shift towards incorporating design aspects that create more inclusive shopping experiences for customers of all neurotypes. Retailers willing to explore this hidden customer segment can deliver a more easy, engaging and inclusive experience both in-store and online.

Retail Voice CEO Message: 15 March 2023

Retail crime continues to be a concern with many businesses recording an increase in shoplifting. 
 
In the latest Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data coming out of New South Wales, retail theft increased 23.7% year-on-year.  

Retailers have an important role to play in closing the gap

Today is National Closing the Gap Day, a day of action to pledge support for achieving indigenous health equality by 2030. As part of the ARA’s reconciliation journey, we have made a commitment to use our reach to raise awareness with our members about days of significance for First Nations communities, like Closing the Gap Day.