Jenny Morris challenges the assertion "That advice to women to ‘lean in’, be more confident… doesn’t help". Would you tell a young girl or a young woman not to be confident? Not to believe in themselves? Not to try to be their best selves in whatever arena they choose to be in? I suspect your answer would be ‘no’. It seems to me that we are [...]
I often find it difficult to find the words to adequately explain the real power of our circles. This arrived in my inbox this morning, from a women in an Australian Government Department whose Mentoring Circle program has finished after 12 months. She describes her journey below. I hope it brings a smile to your face Testimonial from 'Liz, APS6, Canberra' The very first session I [...]
After a truly wonderful 8 years working across the APS I am very sad to say goodbye to the Women in IT Coaching Circles. Over this period I have had the privilege of experiencing, at a personal level, the quiet power that emerges when women support other women. I’ve seen women blossom, I’ve seen their confidence grow, I've seen them gain skills and grow their networks …all through [...]
The Australian Government Coaching Circles program has now come to a close and we would like to thank everyone who has been involved. This highly successful program ran from 2012 to 2020. It coached and mentored 537 participants and provided much-needed networking opportunities and career support for women in digital. The program was designed and delivered by Orijen and is an excellent example of an effective and [...]
I have long been passionate about the power of women coming together in closed, safe spaces – coaching or mentoring circles - where they could both learn from each other and contribute to the personal and professional growth of their peers. I have been facilitating such sessions for the past 10 years (well before ‘lean in’ circles were recognised, and Skype and Zoom came along). I [...]
Having worked with 2 very different cohorts of women in the last month - one with aspiring women politicians and the other with women in the Dept of Defence - I am more than ever of the belief that we need to expose the unwritten rules that form barriers to women’s advancement. I have seen a growing awareness as women progress their careers, that working harder [...]
Call it out ......early! Having had the privilege to meet and talk with two outstanding women leaders Julia Gillard and Sara Hansen-Young, I’m struck by their strength and grace. Both women have been at the receiving end of public abuse and humiliation, yet continue to stand up for their values and commitment to supporting women and girls in their journeys into leadership. A cogent message that [...]
Originally published on WFEA.org.au. The announcement by Senator Nova Peris of her retirement from Parliament after serving just one term – three short years – should be greeted with universal sadness and regret. An outstanding candidate. A high achiever in her own right as an Olympic Gold Medalist and an OAM, Peris’s entrance into parliament was not through the traditional pathway of service to the [...]
We just came across The Women's Room, and loved the concept so much we just had to share the website with you. In their words: For two days in a row, in October 2012, the Today program ran a segment on a female issue. On both days, the issue was discussed exclusively by men. The BBC claimed that they had been unable to find female experts [...]
By Jenny Morris, CEO of The Orijen Group I have just returned from the 100 Women of Influence breakfast at Westpac and the anger in the room about the sexist treatment of Julia Gillard was palpable. No matter what your political persuasion, no-one would want to be, or have their daughters exposed to such personal, sustained, gender-based vitriol. The gender equity changes achieved by the women's [...]
