This International Women’s Day, we focused on the importance of allyship, equal work opportunities, and what we’re doing at BlueRock to support our female staff. But most importantly, we discussed and considered what we can do to choose to challenge. We are proud of our inspiring women at BlueRock and the last week has been a great opportunity to reflect on the best ways to celebrate and support our female BlueRock community.
Being Challenged by Inspiring Women Like Jo Burston
In honour of International Women’s Day, last week we were fortunate to be in conversation with Jo Burston, entrepreneur and founder of Rare Birds , who presented compelling research and statistics, challenged us to confront legacy frameworks, and inspired us by what’s possible. Jo is the founder of 6 businesses and has worked in partnership with high-profile organisations like Office For Women, EY, PwC, Xero, Microsoft and Google.
One day, Jo learned that students at her former school solely associated entrepreneurial roles with males. It was this experience that inspired the creation of Rare Birds, and she now uses her social impact business to inspire and create more diverse workplaces with equal opportunities through inspiring, supporting and educating women in business.
In her IWD event with us last week, Jo discussed how businesses like ours can continue to support and encourage our female staff and leaders, and how we can all play a role in supporting women in the workplace.
We are proud, this year, to sponsor one of our female clients to participate in the Rare Birds Entrepreneur Mentorship Program , which gives them access to an experienced business mentor for 2 hours every month over 12 months, as well as access to the Rare Birds online network and resources. We love seeing female entrepreneurs succeed.
If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, you can watch the recording of the conversation here .
How we #ChooseToChallenge at BlueRock
The theme of International Women’s Day 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge. This theme encourages everyone in the community to speak up against gender inequality and gender-based discrimination.
When we #ChooseToChallenge, we strive for positive change and equal opportunities for all.
As shown on our people page , we’re an equal opportunity workplace. We’re proud to be an organisation that affords a fair chance for every BlueRocker to excel within their role and be given the tools to grow and develop within the company – and to do so without having to face any discrimination or bias.
We offer inclusive parental leave policies to support new parents, regardless of their gender, in their journey into parenthood. We are also very focused on agile and flexible work arrangements to support our working families to ensure equitable take up amongst both women and me.
Our seven brilliant, intelligent, and inspiring nominations for 2020 BlueRocker of the Year happened to all be women. It’s testament to the huge contribution they make and the support they receive to be successful and happy in their roles. We can’t wait to see more of what they achieve and know the best is yet to come.
Project Dignity at BlueRock
At BlueRock, we firmly believe access to period products is a right – not a privilege. Implemented by one of our accounting team members, Jeanette Cheney, earlier this month we saw the introduction of pads and tampons into all of our female bathrooms.
Inspired by the organisation Share the Dignity , we are working towards ending the shame and negative stigma often associated with periods here in Australia by distributing a ready supply of pads and tampons.
Jeanette believes offering access to pads and tampons should be a similar experience to offering tea and coffee – a necessity with no negative stigma attached. This initiative has enabled us to provide period care products to all members of our BlueRock community – whether they’re an employee, client or a visitor.
5 Female Entrepreneurs Who #ChooseToChallenge this International Women’s Day
In this article published by Forbes on International Women’s Day, 5 female entrepreneurs are interviewed and asked about the various ways that they #ChooseToChallenge inequality, discrimination, and promote inclusivity in their businesses.
As an entrepreneurial firm, we look to these 5 women as a source of inspiration for ways that we can continue to advocate against gender bias and stereotypes, and move towards a more gender-diverse and inclusive future for all. We’re looking forward to celebrating more of our female clients who are running and growing amazing businesses throughout Australia (and globally).
Want to hear more about our people and what we’re all about? Get in touch with a BlueRock team member to discuss.
