New business leadership program encourages applications from indigenous women in Australia

Applications for Australia's inaugural Executive Leadership Program are now open, and Indigenous women are urged to apply.

The program was created by and for women of colour, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and was launched by Women's Business, a First Nations-owned and -led company, in collaboration with Australian not-for-profit organization "Women of Colour Australia." It will be distributed both offline and online between May and December 2023.

The founder and managing director of Women of Colour Australia, Brenda Gaddi, stated that while there is a lot of talk about getting more women into leadership roles, there is little to no assistance for women of colour to break through the glass ceiling. We want to support women of colour in assuming their leadership roles as changemakers and transformative figures, according to Ms. Brenda.

"Standing in solidarity with First Nations women entails sharing the chances that, as racialized and marginalized women in a White-centered society, are not always available to us. First Nations women have been paving the path for collectivism for thousands of years because there is strength in numbers. Being on this journey alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women makes us feel grateful and honoured."

The program is intended for women who now occupy senior leadership positions in their organizations or who desire to do so. Women of Color thought leaders and subject area experts will provide the innovative curriculum. 

It provides a leadership curriculum that is culturally and psychologically healthy, with specialized seminars and modules that look at radical and gendered influences, investigate adaptive problems, and assist in creating concise, actionable plans that have the power to change individuals and organizations.

Well-regarded thought leaders and topic experts who are also Women of Color have been recruited by the program to help with its creation. Tasneem Chopra OAM, a cross-cultural consultant and DEI trainer, Winitha Bonney OAM, a world authority on DEI, and Abiola Ajetomobi, the founding director of Leading Impact, an Australian equity and inclusion consulting firm, are a few of the facilitators.

In addition, small group coaching, executive mentorship, assistance with a project for a group adaptive challenge, and pre-and post-program evaluations will be available to program participants. Indigenous people have benefited greatly from contextualizing career leadership training, according to Kat Henaway, founder of Women's Business and a member of the Mer and Mua peoples of the Torres Strait Islands.

Since we recognize the significance of having women of colour in leadership roles and because we want to enable Australian firms to embrace cultural diversity at all levels of their organizations, we are bringing the tried-and-true strategy to Women of Color, according to Kat Henaway.

Before applications end on February 28, 2023, Victoria-based women of colour who occupy senior executive roles in the public, corporate, and non-profit sectors and who have a real commitment to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion are strongly urged to apply.