Australian quantity surveying firm Slattery has celebrated International Women’s Day – with all four offices marking the day with an afternoon tea and cupcakes raising over $500 for the Malala Foundation.
The Malala Foundation is an organisation focused on achieving educational rights, quality of life and safety for young women around the world.
Slattery has always been an advocate of gender balance and diversity, with the firm now celebrating 42% women to 58% men with four out of the 12 Directors women.
Director and State Lead in Victoria Sarah Slattery, said International Women’s Day was the perfect time to celebrate women’s achievements.
“Women are now forming a larger part of the property industry and that in itself is a cause to celebrate.
“Businesses do better when there is diversity. Our clients are diverse and want different things and we need to meet their needs. The industry benefits from the varying perspectives that women bring,” she said.
Sarah who has been running a successful women’s lunch in Melbourne for over nine years says having supportive female networks helps women to flourish.
“The women’s lunch started off in Melbourne with a small group of friends and now has a guest list of over 400 women and is being held in all offices this year.
“The exciting thing about initiatives such as these is they enable women to feel empowered and build their own networks in a very nurturing and supportive environment,” she said.
This year three of the Slattery Directors will be championing a female at Slattery as part of the Property Council of Australia’s 100 Women in Property Program.
“It’s about creating a pipeline of future female leaders by offering networking and development opportunities for these women to reach their full potential, while being supported and feeling valued,” she said.
Directors Belinda Coates and Ivy Halstead are also part of committees that champion women in the industry. Belinda sits on the Property Council of Australia Diversity Committee in Victoria and Ivy Halstead sits on the NAWIC Education and Mentoring Committee in QLD.
Director and State Lead NSW Gillian Cottle who spoke on the panel at the Advisian International Women’s Day breakfast, said she was proud to share with the audience Slattery’s diversity.
“We are not only streets ahead in the way of gender equality but we are also proud to celebrate different cultures and backgrounds within our national team.
“Diversity is something that stands Slattery apart from other quantity surveying firms and it’s exciting to be a part of an organisation that embraces gender equality,” she said.
