New resource Circle In to help 50,000 women back into work
A NEW online resource pioneered by two Aussie mums aims to get 50,000 more women back into work.
Parenting
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PARENTS trying to navigate the world of work and child rearing will get a massive hand up from today with a new online resource aimed at helping 50,000 women back into work over the next three years.
Former corporate executives Jodie Geddes and Kate Pollard are launching Circle In a unique online resource to help parents navigate the world of careers and motherhood.
Sick of all the mummy blogs out there talking about how mundane motherhood can be with nothing substantial to support and engage women who want to navigate parenting with a career, the pair quit their jobs and decided to take matters into their own hands.
Their aim is to reach 50,000 women over the three years and help them to build their confidence and have the tools and tips to navigate their careers through the juggle of children.
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Their site will include real advice from senior women, interviews, checklists on how to navigate maternity leave, what to ask for when looking for a nanny or au pair, podcasts, videos and a range of other useful resources, all available for free.
Ms Geddes and Ms Pollard each have two young children and have navigated successful careers. But it hasn’t been easy.
“What I learned through my two lots of maternity leave is you can’t rely on your manager or organisation. Women need to take control of the process and we want to give them back that control,” Ms Geddes, mum to Eloise, 2, and Molly, 4 said.
“There is real inconsistency in the way parental leave is managed across different organisations and even within the same organisation and if women have all the resources they need to take back the control, we’ll get more women back into work which will be a huge positive for our economy.”
Ms Pollard, mum to Oliver, 4, and Finn, 2, said women would be able to ask any question via the Circle In website to seek mentorship from other women who had been through it before.
“When you are a new parent or a new mum there are loads of mummy blogs and parenting websites to help you learn how to settle your child or deal with other issues but there is very little out there on how to manage your career through that parenting process,” she said.
According to OECD figures Australia’s maternal workforce has stagnated at around 64 per cent since 2008, well below many comparable countries. Maternal employment participation rates are 20 percentage points higher in Sweden and 4.2 percentage points higher in the UK.
Ms Geddes and Ms Pollard hope to also launch corporate training sessions to help managers and employers support more mothers back into work.
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said there were a record number of Australian women in work today than ever before, but agreed more could be done.
“I commend Jodi and Kate on their initiative which will benefit women of all ages and help them secure their financial future,” Senator Cash told News Corp Australia.
“Getting more women engaged in work is an economic and social priority for the Turnbull Government — it’s good for women, families, business and our economy.”
Jamila Rizvi, former Mamamia editor-in-chief, author of Not Just Lucky and commentator, said there was a significant number of women in Australia facing pregnancy discrimination or discrimination upon their return to work.
“Women make up 74 per cent of the part time workforce and most of those women are mothers who would like to work more but because the way our modern system is structured just can’t,” she said.
“These kinds of resources are really important in helping women through the difficult period of parental leave and returning to work when a lot of women think they are the problem when in actual fact it’s a lack of support.”
TOP TIPS TO RETURN TO WORK WITH CONFIDENCE
1. Take control of the process and be clear about what you want
2. Take the time to understand your rights
3. Have a performance review before you leave
4. Understand who your mentors and sponsors are and connect with them before leaving
5. Don’t let being pregnant or on leave stop you from applying for a promotion or asking for a pay rise
6. Stay connected while you are on leave
7. Use your keeping in touch days — you can access 10 days a year!
8. Always put everything in writing. You never know what will happen in 12 months and who you will report to when you return.
9. Make decisions based on what is right for you and your family (and not everyone else).
10. Ditch the mamma guilt and be kind to yourself