Events and programs endorsed by Women on Boards 

NDS Leading the Way Seminar 2012

When. Day Seminar – Sunday, 12 February 2012
Where. Hilton Sydney
Cost. Fully funded (including dinner)
Contact: Julie Walton, julie.walton@nds.org.au, 02 9256 3115

Come along to this strategic free one day seminar and dinner on governance for chief executives and board members.

The seminar provides an engaging forum for organisations who understand change is upon us and therefore a unique opportunity to participate in active discussion through topical master class seminars and keynote speakers on the subject of transformational change management.  Importantly it will provide directors and CEOs with additional learning and networking with like-minded individuals. More information an registration http://www.nds.org.au/events/1322441057

UN Women - International Women's Day breakfasts

To book a sesat or table at these inspiring events around Australia visit: http://www.internationalwomensday.org.au/iwd/Events/attend-an-event

Women in Business Survey

The Women in Business Survey is Australia's first comprehensive national survey targeting women in business and is being conducted by the newly formed Australian Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  

The survey's aim is to better understand what women in business, around the country, need and want in order to run a profitab/e business. Please click onto the logo to participate in the poll.

Pivot Point

Corporate Strategist Dr Monique Beedles has released her first book.  In Pivot Point, she addresses the seven key decisions that every business must make.  Click here to read more about Pivot Point  

NONI B WEBSHOP  

Chair Lyn Wood has advised their latest online venture. It is at at www.nonib.com.au/webshop  - feedback is always welcome!

Programs

Women’s Subscription Enterprise - helping homeless and marginalized women…one subscription at a time

Every night there are more than 46,000 homeless women in Australia? With the help of a $1.2 million funding from the Federal Government, The Big Issue has launched the Women’s Subscription Enterprise (WSE). 

The WSE is a social initiative that, through the sale of subscriptions to The Big Issue magazine, provides work, training and pathway opportunities for disadvantaged women. For every 100 subscriptions sold 1 woman is given the chance to earn an income and gain the skills and confidence she needs to break the cycle of poverty and build a better future for herself and her children.

To support this initiative with a $155 subscription phone (02) 8877 0374 or visit www.thebigissue.org.au/womens

 1 Million Women

A campaign of daughters, mothers, sisters and grandmothers - Committed to protecting our climate, our communities and our future, leading change for the better.

Our goal is to inspire 1 million Australian women to take practical action on climate change by cutting 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse pollutant causing global warming.

Join the campaign here www.1millionwomen.com.au

Healthy Heart Challenge

Heart disease kills four times more women than breast cancer each year. Support the Healthy Heart Challenge, which starts on 1 June by:

• Signing up at www.goredforwomen.org.au   
• Promoting the Challenge internally at your workplace
• Promoting the Challenge to your network

Make Care Fair Alliance

Make Care Fair Alliance was established to push for greater access to childcare support for working parents. They are asking men and women to sign the petition at www.makecarefair.com.au 

Climate Smart Business Clusters Program

Opportunity for Women on Boards members with businesses based in Queensland

Women on Boards member and Environmental Management Systems expert, Genevieve Carruthers, is seeking interest from fellow WOBers in establishing one or more clusters of 20 businesses to address environmental impacts.

The program runs for eight months and is majority funded by the Queensland Government under its Climate Smart Business Clusters program. However participants are required to contribute $500 as an indication of their commitment to the program.

Genevieve reports that the benefits of the program are multi-fold, with previous participants having saved an average of 10-35% in energy (on average = 13 tonnes of GHG emissions) and $3,500 per business, usually in the water, waste and energy areas.

Her company, Ecosure, proposes to use a range of tools to look at a wide range of issues around climate and build these into a functional Environmental Management System for each participant. 

While the program is only available in Queensland, she would be happy to talk with other WOBers (either individually or as a group) to work in other States if there is sufficient interest.

Please get in touch with Genevieve at GCarruthers@ecosure.com.au or on 07 5508 2046.

Dress for Success Charity

Dress for Success Sydney is a registered charity that outfits disadvantaged women, free of charge, in high quality professional attire and provides practical advice on grooming and presentation in preparation for job interviews. Dress for Success is a global organisation with more than 100 affiliates. In Australia it has affiliates in Sydney, Melbourne (as of Feb 2011) and Brisbane.

Dress for Success improves the employability of disadvantaged women by increasing confidence and restoring dignity. Contact the Burwood showroom (1800 77 3456) and offer your clean, used work clothing.

Further information from Di Ryall at diana.ryall@bigpond.com

Register4

Register4 is Australia’s first online community for volunteer breast cancer research participants. We help researchers spend less time and money recruiting volunteers, so they can spend more time finding better preventative measures and a cure.
From volunteering as a research participant to spreading the word, there are many different ways you can help the Register4 breast cancer research community. It's free to join, we're not asking you to raise money, we just want you.

Website: www.register4.org.au

The Big Issue TARGET 9000 - Supporting Disadvantaged Women

Did you know there are 9500 subscribers to Women on Boards? Did you know that if each of those subscribers took out a subscription to The Big Issue magazine the result would be a sustainable social enterprise that provides life changing opportunities for women around Australia…?  

Natalie Susman the Head of The Women’s Subscription Enterprise for The Big Issue is working to sell 9000 subscriptions to The Big Issue magazine as part of a ground breaking new initiative addressing the needs of homeless and disadvantaged women – The Women’s Subscription Enterprise. The WSE is a sustainable social enterprise that uses a model selling subscriptions to The Big Issue to provide work, training and pathway opportunities for homeless and disadvantaged women.

For every 100 subscriptions sold, 1 homeless woman will be employed to work as a Dispatch Assistant to collate, sort and insert the magazines for distribution every fortnight.

By purchasing a subscription for just $155 per year, they will get a quality publication delivered every fortnight, and the knowledge that they are giving Australia’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable women hope for a brighter future. 

Website: www.thebigissue.org.au/womens

Buildmore Women Into Building Housing Showcase  

WOBer Sam Sheppard is the inspiration behind the Buildmore Women Into Building Housing Showcase. Sam says; "I can proudly say that my team have been doing an exceptional job of raising awareness and acceptance of women in the Building industry in a positive and supportive manner. This National first initiative has gained media attention across the country and emails from around the world."

Website: www.womenintobuilding.com.au

Mercy Foundation - Help us help women

The Mercy Foundation is a not for profit focused on ending homelessness. The Mercy Foundation does this by :

Project areas that may be funded are aleviating poverty and domestic violence, women’s groups and activities, activities that focus on assisting children.  The CEO Felicity Reynolds is available to speak at workplaces. If you would like to set up a workplace giving program or donate to Mercy Foundation, contact office@mercyfoundation.com.au, call 02 9911 7390 or donate online.

Website: www.mercyfoundation.com.au

Room to Read 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 initiative

Room to Read is an innovative nonprofit leader dedicated to promoting and enabling global education. Founded in 2000, the organization is based on the belief that education is crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty in the developing world.  

"Our vision is to build a network of educated professional women around the world, acknowledging the good fortune of their circumstances and reaching out to women in developing countries by raising funds to support Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program. If ten women in each of ten professional organizations could find ten friends, each of whom would support ten years of girls’ education, we would be supporting ten thousand years of girls’ education."

We invite you to be a part of this bold plan to engage the world’s professional women in an overwhelming bid to make a significant difference. 

• respondents said childcare costs had hit their career, but not their partners (71.6%)
• 52% of respondents qualified for the childcare rebate, but 92% still rate childcare costs as important or very important political/ election issue
• 86% would give their vote to the party with a tax-deductible policy on childcare 48% say cost of childcare has impacted upon career to date
• 62% say the cost of childcare has led to a reduction in their working hours
• 74% say it’s difficult or very difficult to find available quality child care 
• Do women have what it takes to make it to board level without a little help from big brother?
• If we're 'placed' at the top via mandatory quotas, what does this say about merit and perceptions that we're only making up the numbers?
• Improve your communication and people management skills
• Build a zero-tolerance culture around bullying and harassment
• Develop future leaders from within your team
• Hold effective workplace conversations to achieve business objectives
• Create high-performing teams
• Optimise your social media strategy for recruitment and branding
• Make a positive impact on your organisation’s bottom-line
• Leverage an effective Employee Value Proposition to retain talent
• Take a holistic approach to HR leadership and alignment
• Measure the ROI on workplace diversity
• Communicate and manage change during mergers and acquisitions
• Build engagement through influencing corporate culture
• Its Grants Program that funds projects whose outcomes end or prevent homelessness.  
• In partnership with other organisations to advocate, educate and research and implement improved responses to homelessness.

For further information about Room to Read  and the 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10, please contact WOBer Raji Ambikairajah at rajiambi@gmail.com