Northern Rivers Women in Business

from The Byron Shire Echo – Issue 37.39 – March 8, 2023

Calling All Sports

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2023

Equal Opportunities by Mandy Nolan

Equal Opportunities are not enough. It’s a nice catchy mission statement on a corporate website but it doesn’t encapsulate the complexities and the struggle that more than 100 000 women face to access that opportunity.

Let’s think about opportunity as a race, it doesn’t matter who wins, you can run at your own speed, but you need to be at the starting line. It’s not just being invited to run. You have to be near the track. You need shoes. You need time and support to train. You may need care for your disabled child or elderly mother. It may be that culturally there are barriers to you running. You may have never learnt to run. Or you may have a desire to race, but need an alternative option to running.

It’s like that when we talk of equal opportunity for women in the workplace. In order to embrace inclusion we have to be aware of all the obstacles and complexities. What does it mean for women with disabilities, or Indigenous women, or women living in family violence? We can never assume that all women start the race from the same point at the starting line. Yes it’s about opportunities, but we’ve now moved

Colleen Brunt

Colleen has been with Amir Prestige for the past seven years on the Gold Coast (13 years in real estate) and to be given the opportunity to be a part of the fabulous challenge she couldn’t turn down. Her philosophy is complete transparency and recognising the value and trust her clients place in her.

Colleen’s individual, personalised approach to each client, ensuring the best results, together with her laid back, easy to work with nature, has resulted in repeat and referral business, and this, along with the relationships and trust she builds and keeps with her clients, is the foundation of her success.

then creates a solid foundation to do great business together. I’m looking forward to this exciting journey, meeting and building relationships with fabulous results’, says Colleen.

Colleen Brunt Amir Prestige Sales Agent 0437 533 943

#EmbraceEquity

to addressing the barriers that stop us accessing those opportunities. More than 75 per cent of all caregivers are female. Their average age is 50.1-years-old. That’s the same age high achieving men become CEOs. Annabel Crabb once said ‘women need wives and men need lives.’ Women carry most of the domestic chores and most of the childcare. Childcare has always been an obstacle for women striving to get back into the workforce. According to research done in 2022 more than 100 000 women don’t even search for employment because of the lack of childcare. Australia is second in the world for high childcare fees. Why isn’t it free? Free childcare would unlock one million full time jobs into our economy. And it’s not just childcare, many women also carry the burden of care for elderly parents.

So this year, for International Women’s Day, the campaign theme is Embrace Equity, acknowledging that people start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging requires equitable action. What is your workplace doing?

Yasmin Dulley, Byron Family Law

‘International Women’s Day honours the remarkable achievements of women who have overcome barriers to science and the arts, women have made a profound impact on our world. Let us honour the progress we have made and recommit ourselves to the work that remains to be done. Together, we can create a world where every woman has the opportunity to thrive and succeed’, says Yasmin.

Principal Solicitor of Byron Family Law, Yasmin is proud to be part of this legacy and has built a successful career despite many challenges. She is amongst the countless women inspiring the next generation of female leaders making a positive impact in our community by breaking down barriers across every discipline and advocating for social justice. Yasmin currently sits on a number of local boards including as Secretary of the Byron Bay Chamber of Commerce. She is the proud mother of three young children, has a business in fashion archiving, a pilot’s licence, and is a member of the Australian Army Reserves.

1 Porter Street, Byron Bay 0437 533 943 www.byronfamilylaw.com.au

Vanamala Mayr-Reisch Face Yoga Australia

‘Of course, I could rave that I am known as a world-leading expert in face yoga and natural facelift, but this year calls for something else. Face Yoga values and celebrates difference and uniqueness.’ and to stand up for my values. It gave me a new outlook on what I can achieve and what I would like to be.

‘I fell in love with face yoga because it not only took years off my face, but I felt empowered. When I started exercising my face, I immediately noticed the calming yet invigorating effect on my mind and body.

I feel honoured to work with people’s faces and witness profound transformations’, says Vanamala. Services: sessions – classes – workshops – corporate health programs –

Mullumbimby 02 6684 3070 www.faceyogaaustralia.com