Skirts 'key to success for women'

THE trouser suit may be the uniform of choice for the power-dressing career woman. But she'd be better off in a skirt, research shows.

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Talented women urged to bring baby to work

CHILDCARE and breastfeeding breaks offered after firm finds most new mums don't return.

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Sandberg book urges women to 'Lean In' to succeed

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating office. Picture: AP Source: AP

POWERFUL Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg is out to make herself less of an anomaly as she launches a campaign to inspire women to pursue their passions at work and at home.

The 43-year-old mum and Facebook chief operating officer today releases Lean In, in which she weaves stories from her life with insights regarding women being held back from reaching career highs on par with male peers.

"This book is for women of all ages," Ms Sandberg said at the freshly-launched LeanIn.org website.

"I believe the world would be a better place if half our companies and half the countries were run by women, and half our homes were run by men. This is about believing in yourself."

Ms Sandberg is a longtime champion of women being able to embrace careers as fiercely as men do, while being equal partners when it comes to caring for homes and families.

Profit from her much-anticipated motivational book will go to LeanIn.org. The campaign officially launched on Wednesday.

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey, actress Reese Witherspoon, US Senator Barbara Boxer and former US first lady Laura Bush are among the women sharing their personal stories at LeanIn.org.

"Taken collectively, these stories paint a picture of the shared struggles and obstacles we all face," Ms Sandberg said in a blog post.

"They allow us to see how stretching for a goal and believing in yourself can pay off."

LeanIn.org encourages people to make "circles" of kindred spirits to meet with regularly to share ideas and experiences.

The website also features free lessons on subjects such as negotiation, team dynamics, and "the body language of power."

The Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University provided material from courses for executive women and did research for Ms Sandberg's book, according to associate director Lori Nishiura Mackenzie.

"She is using her public capital on behalf of all women and I think that is brave," Ms Mackenzie said of Ms Sandberg.

"Gender equality has been stalled since the 1990s; bringing answers to the public conversation is a revolutionary act."

The book is already causing controversy, with some criticising Ms Sandberg for urging women to "lean in" rather than fix gender-biased systems.

Ms Sandberg said she hoped to encourage women to believe in their dreams and to help men "do their part to form a more equal world by making sure all of us have opportunities based on our passions and interests, not just our gender."

A theme of the book is that women throttle back on careers to save room down the line for children and home life, even if they are young and unattached.

The book expands on an 18-minute talk Ms Sandberg gave on stage at a prestigious TED Conference in 2010. A video clip of the talk had logged just shy of two million views online at Ted.com by midday Friday.

"She tells stories in her book but really grounds it in research by social scientists," Ms Mackenzie said.

"She doesn't say the balance between work and personal life is easy. She says 'lean in;' let's work it out together."

Ms Sandberg has been hit with the expected gripe that it is easy for a rich woman to have it all when it comes to balancing work and family.

"No matter what is in the book, you knew she would get flak from people because she is a powerful, wealthy woman," said Heidi Hartmann, founder and president of the non-partisan Institute for Women's Policy Research.

"Women's groups want to see systemic changes and not focus on what women need to do differently," Ms Hartmann continued. "That is what the debate is going to come down to."

Ms Hartmann spoke of a "chicken and egg" quandary, in that women leaning into their careers could elevate them to positions of power from which they could change the system.

"I understand that Sheryl is addressing the tendency of women to hold back because they might have a family," Ms Hartmann said. "The perception women are holding back is widely shared."

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Women inspired to reach for the top

BankSA Managing Director Jane Kittel is inspired to work with BankSA Head of Brand and Marketing Sarah Cutbush work closely together. Picture: Dylan Coker Source: The Advertiser

MORE than three in four girls and young women aspire to leadership roles, and many nominate a female boss as the most inspiring in their lives, a survey has found.

Results of the YWCA "She Speaks" survey of 1650 women aged from 15  to 30 will be released today as part of International Women's Day celebrations.

The survey found:

MOST admired was "my mum" - followed by  Australia's first female Prime Minister, Julia  Gillard.

LACK of confidence is  a strong barrier for those who don't aspire to be leaders.

BOSSES were most admired by 40 per cent of  those who chose professional acquaintances as the women they most admired.

YWCA communications manager Chelsea Lewis said the survey showed most women were aspirational in their work and lives.

Sarah Cutbush, Bank SA head of brand and marketing, said the bank's managing director Jane Kittel was one of the main reasons she'd sought work at the bank.

"Jane is the first female managing director in the bank's 165-year-history," Ms Cutbush said.

She added: "That is truly inspirational."

Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement chief executive officer Cheryl Axleby said female leaders at work had the compassion and knowledge to be role models for young women.

"We are showing the way that anything is possible," she said.

ALRM legal secretary Kaylia Power, 23, said she was most inspired by her grandmother, mother, aunties and Ms Axleby at work.

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Skirts 'key to success for women'

THE trouser suit may be the uniform of choice for the power-dressing career woman. But she'd be better off in a skirt, research shows.

View the original article here

Talented women urged to bring baby to work

CHILDCARE and breastfeeding breaks offered after firm finds most new mums don't return.

View the original article here

Skirts 'key to success for women'

THE trouser suit may be the uniform of choice for the power-dressing career woman. But she'd be better off in a skirt, research shows.

View the original article here

Abbott super cuts 'hit women hardest'

Tony Abbott with wife Margie at a campaign rally. The Opposition Leader has worked at improving his image with female voters, but many of those will lose money under his super cuts. Picture: Nikki Short Source: News Limited

Julia Gillard is reaching out to blue collar workers with a billion dollar package to protect local manufacturing jobs

Tony Abbott with wife Margie at a campaign rally. The Opposition Leader has worked at improving his image with female voters, but many of those will lose money under his super cuts. Picture: Nikki Short Source: News Limited

A KEY Coalition savings measure to axe the $500 superannuation benefit for low-income workers will hit more than two million women, including 11,000 female voters in Tony Abbott's own electorate.

As a Galaxy poll shows 62 per cent of women harbour concerns over the Opposition leader, Australia's peak welfare body and Labor are targeting Mr Abbott over the $800 million savings measure.

The Coalition plans to scrap the $500 co-contribution for workers earning less than $37,000, a move that will affect thousands of women in some of the country's most marginal seats.

In western Sydney, around 25,000 women will lose the benefit in the Labor-held seats of Lindsay and Greenway, while nearly 13,000 low-paid women in the Victorian regional seat of Corangamite, held by Labor's Darren Cheesman, will also miss out.

Brisbane, one of the Liberals' most marginal electorates, also has a high number of working women, around 15,000, who stand to lose the $500 payment.

The Gillard Government hopes that Mr Abbott's negative standing with many women will allow it to "sandbag" crucial marginal seats at the September 14 poll.

Around 60 per cent, or 2.1 million, of the 3.6 million workers hit by the Coalition super policy are women, and female workers generally hold around 50 per cent of the total super savings held by men.

Treasurer Wayne Swan slammed the Coalition's "raid" on low and middle income superannuation.

"I've rarely seen such a nasty policy, ripping up to $500 a year from the superannuation accounts of one in every three workers," Mr Swan said.

"It says a lot about Tony Abbotts view of the world that he thinks hard working women should be hit hardest to fill his $70 billion budget crater."

Status of Women Minister Julie Collins, said that "winding back the superannuation benefits of low-income workers will hit women the hardest".

"Two thirds of these workers are women," she said.

"On top of that, the average superannuation balance for Australian women is already 40 per cent below that of men and average payouts are almost half that of men."

Richard Dennis, head of the Canberra-based Australia Institute, warned the Opposition leader that his status with female voters would suffer.

"You would think that in an election year where Tony Abbott needs to show women voters that he's serious about representing their interests, that he would have thought more deeply about the consequences of such a big change," he said.

The Australian Council of Social Services, which has been lobbying the Gillard Government to make super fairer for low income workers, called on Mr Abbott to "rethink" the savings measure.

ACOSS chief executive Cassandra Goldie said: "We know that women are clearly more vulnerable to hardship and poverty in later life because they have much less overall savings. The recent introduction of the Government Contribution will make a significant difference in the gender disparity of retirement savings, ensuring that people on low incomes are now at least not penalised by paying more tax on their super than they would ordinarily pay."

The Coalition's superannuation spokesman, Mathias Cormann, said Labor could not be trusted on superannuation and predicted it would be "forced to scrap the low income super tax offset because they can't afford it".

"That's because they've linked that promise to their failed mining tax, which hasn't raised any meaningful revenue," he said.

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Talented women urged to bring baby to work

CHILDCARE and breastfeeding breaks offered after firm finds most new mums don't return.

View the original article here