Today, thousands of us will attend Property Council International Women’s Day events across Australia. These great events support this year’s #EmbraceEquity theme and challenge us to do more to promote equity and inclusion.
At the same time, the Property Council is launching our 500 Women in Property program for the year. This initiative is a concrete commitment to nurturing the talented women in our industry.
Now in its eighth year, the program has received an overwhelmingly positive response, with more than 3,000 women participating nationwide since its introduction in 2016.
However, there is more to be done to #EmbraceEquity, promote diversity and create an inclusive environment that empowers women to thrive.
In making my contribution, I have joined other property leaders as a Property Champion of Change. Founded in 2015, the group comprises 26 property leaders who collectively oversee more than 25,000 employees.
The champions work collaboratively within and across their organisations to create a significant and lasting increase in the number of women occupying senior leadership roles in the property sector. The workforces of champion’s organisations are 49 per cent female, almost double the broader industry average.
While much progress has been made, we can, and must do more across the board to challenge behaviours that prevent inclusion and equity. These include tackling everyday sexism, unconscious bias, sexual harassment in the workplace and the scourge of domestic violence.
Let’s take the opportunity afforded by International Women’s Day to commit to improvements we can each make in our workplaces in 2023 and to support this year’s theme #EmbraceEquity.
