Home Property Australia Record number of women sign up for sponsorship in property sector

Record number of women sign up for sponsorship in property sector

  • July 31, 2024
  • by Property Australia
500 Women in Property helps Property Council members promote female talent and empower women to advance in the workforce.

The Property Council of Australia’s sponsorship program for women in the sector continues to build momentum.

Launched in 2016 as 100 Women in Property with the aim to encourage sponsorship of 100 women across the industry, the popular program has exceeded participation projections each year, recording more than 3,600 women participants during the eight years to 2023.

Now known as 500 Women in Property, the program was established by the Property Council of Australia, a Member of the Champions of Change Coalition Property Group, to support industry-wide work to build the pipeline of female talent and increase women’s representation in leadership roles. The program includes exclusive networking events, opportunities to observe committee meetings, professional development masterclasses, and opportunities for sponsors
to host participants at key events.

Mike Zorbas, Chief Executive of the Property Council of Australia, said: “The significant growth and positive impact of our 500 Women in Property program speaks volumes. 500 WIP provides the platform for talented women to be recognised and advance into industry leadership positions.”

Sponsorship is crucial for accelerating more women into leadership roles, addressing the under-representation of women in senior positions in organisations, fostering gender-balanced teams, and ultimately delivering better results by ensuring they harness the full spectrum of available talent.

Virginia Briggs, CEO of Minter Ellison and a Member of Champions of Change Coalition National 2015 Group, said: “The power of effective sponsorship for women cannot be overstated. An effective sponsor is senior and powerful and uses their political capital to invest in, advocate for, and create opportunities for a more junior person.

“For women, in particular, sponsors can help to play a critical role in advancing their careers because they often recognise qualities that women may not see in themselves. Reflecting on the significant impact sponsors have had on my career, I think about the times I’ve leaned on sponsors for extra support. This is particularly true for the leadership opportunities presented to me over the years, where my sponsors encouraged me to take on new roles.”

Russell Proutt, CEO & Managing Director of The GPT Group said: “GPT is proud to support the leadership of the Champions of Change Coalition. Our sponsorship of the 500 Women in Property program targets increased opportunity for female leaders across our entire industry.”

Champions of Change Coalition Members have significant knowledge and lessons learned from experience over a decade of implementing sponsorship initiatives. This experience has been collated and distilled into Sponsorship Track: A practical guide to gender-inclusive progression.

Within the Champions of Change Coalition, the overwhelming experience is that when it comes to accelerating more women into leadership positions, sponsorship:

  • Can act as a bias disruptor within talent pipelines by challenging the informal power structures and biases that favour individuals who look, talk, and act like the current leaders, often side-lining diverse talents, particularly women
  • Helps redefine what leadership looks like by promoting a broader view of leadership qualities beyond the traditional norms, creating opportunities for diverse talents to emerge and thrive
  • Is a deliberate and intentional practice inclusive leaders undertake to identify, advocate for, and develop highpotential talent within their organisations and across their industries.

Sponsorship Track provides: practical guidance on how to establish a sponsorship initiative, tips for both sponsors and sponsorship recipients, and case studies illustrating the experiences of sponsors and sponsorship recipients, organisations, and industry groups across the Champions of Change Coalition.

In addition to the Property Council’s 500 Women in Property case study, Sponsorship Track shares case studies of effective sponsorship programs in the Coalition’s Architecture, Fire and Emergency, and Sport Groups.

The Property Council of Australia and Champions of Change Coalition encourages organisations to download Sponsorship Track and adopt its advice and tips to establish or enhance their own sponsorship initiatives, helping to accelerate more women into leadership roles and build gender-equal and diverse workplaces.