Finalists and winners in the 2011 EOWA Business Achievement Awards were announced this week to recognise organistions that are implementing innovative programs to enhance women’s workforce participation, and individual leaders who are champions for change in supporting and advancing women in business.
Winners and finalists across the various categories were acknowledged by Helen Conway, Director of EOWA, for the contribution they have made leading the way in creating equitable workplaces for their employees, including:
The Minister’s Award for Oustanding EEO Initiative or result for the advancement of women:
- CSL Limited for practices aimed at increasing retention rates of employees post-parental leave, including the provision of on-site childcare facilities.
- Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Wollongong for promoting flexible work practices (with 95% of flexibility requests accommodated) and the development of its ‘Working Parent Toolkit’ and the ‘Teachers Sharing Teaching’ strategy that have delivered positive results for women at CEO in their working and personal lives.
- Hayman Island Great Barrier Reef for increasing the number of female managers through extending family accommodation in non-management roles, providing Kids Club facilities for children of employees, accommodating flexible start and finish times in various roles.
- The University of Sydney, for establishing two fellowships designed to assist female academics and carers in developing a more intensive research focus in their careers.
- Madocks law firm for its initiatives taken to increase gender diversity at partner level including the internal promotion of four women to partnership roles.
The Exxon Mobil Award for Oustanding EEO practice for the advancement of women in a non-traditional area or role:
- Downer EDI engineering and infrastructure services for its strategy to employ indigenous women, with 14 indigenous women currently employed across Downer sites.
- National Australia Bank for its Board Ready initiateve that educates senior women at NAB about its subsidiary board operations and prepares the for directorships with subsidiaries and community partners.
- Rio Tinto Iron Ore which has achieved its target of 20 per cent representation of women in senior management roles through is development and mentoring programs for women (22.7% of senior leadership are women and 21.3% of employees are women).
- St Barbara Limited mines for its gender diversity initiatives focused on return to work strategies for women.
- James L Williams Pty Ltd engineering solutions for its initiative to include female apprentices in non-traditional areas of work.
Commonwealth Bank Diversity Leader for the Advancement of Women Award:
- Phillip Jones, Senior Partner and Chairman, Maddocks (law firm)
- Helen O’Brien, Assistant Director, Catholic Education Office, Adelaide
- Kerry Thomas, Employee Relations Manager, L’Oreal Australia Pty Ltd
- Sally Macindoe, Partner and Chairman of the Partnership Council, Norton Rose Australia (law firm)
- Katie-Jeyn Romeyn, General Manager Human Resources, St Barbara Limited
Australian Industry Group award for Leading CEO for the Advancement of Women:
- Ralph Norris, Chief Executive Officer, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
- Karen Spiller, Principal, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School
- Deborah Waterhouse, Vice-President and General Manager, Australia & New Zealand, GlaxoSmithKline
- Alan Robson AM, Vice Chancellor, The University of Western Australia
- Gail Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, Westpac Banking Corporation
IBM Award for the Leading Organisation for the Advancement of Women (less than 800 employees)
- Amgen Australia Pty Ltd
- Catholic Education office, Adelaide
- Henry Davis York (law firm)
- ITC Ltd (higher education and training)
- ASX Limited
Leading Organisation for the Advancement of Women (more than 800 employees)
- National Australia Bank
- Australian Catholic University
- Corporate Express Australia Pty Ltd
- Westpac Banking Corporation
The full report can be accessed here. Do you work for one of these employees? Are these Australia’s best employers for women? I’d love to hear your thoughts…