CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY EBRODUTL1P
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
-AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR, SYDNEY, 15 NOVEMBER 1984
IAM VERY PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT THE AWARD OF
BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR. I AM ESPECIALLY PROUD TO BE
ASSOCIATED WITH AN AWARD WHICH ENCOURAGES WOMEN TO STRIVE
FOR SUCCESS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE WORLD OF BUSINESS.
WHEN TREVOR KENNEDY ASKED ME SEVERAL MONTHS AGO IF I WOULD
PRESENT THIS YEAR'S AWARD, I WAS HAPPY TO ACCEPT.
MY CONGRATULATIONS GO TO THE AUSTRALIAN CONSOLIDATED PRESS, 0
PUBLISHERS OF THE BULLETIN, AND TO QANTAS FOR PROMOTING THIS
MOST SIGNIFICANT AWARD. IT HIGHLIGHTS THE DIVERSE CONTRIBUTION
WOMEN ARE MAKING To AUSTRALIA'S ECONOMIC LIFE. WOMEN'S EFFORTS,
BE THEY IN SMALL,-ONE-WOMAN OPERATIONS OR IN LARGE AND
EXPANDING ENTERPRISES, ARE INTEGRAL TO'THE CONTINUED PROSPERITY
OF AUSTRALIA.
THE ANNUAL QANTAS/ BULLETIN BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
RECOGNISES THE CONTRIBUTION OF WOMEN TO AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS,
WOMEN ARE MAKING AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT IMPACT IN
THE BUSINESS WOR~ LD. THE GOVERNMENT WELCOMES THIS PROGRESS AND
THE ENCOURAGEI-liET IT RECEIVES FROM AWARDS SUCH AS THIS. 2/.
EMBARGOED UNTIL 1 PM
FOR OUR PART, WE AS A GOVERNMENT ARE ALSO ENCOURAGING WOMEN
TO REALISE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. WE HAVE UNDERWAY AN
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PILOT PROGRAM IN COOPERATION WITH A
NUMBER OF AUSTRALIA'S MAJOR COMPANIES.
THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, THE GOVERNMENT IS ENCOURAGING EMPLOYERS
TO GIVE GREATER OPPORTUNITIES TO WOMEN, WE HAVE DONE SO
KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF WOMEN
IN THE WORKFORCE ARE TO BE FOUND IN ONLY A VERY SMALL NUMBER
OF OCCUPATIONS.
WE ARE ENCOURAGING EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
WOMEN WHO WOULD LIKE TO M4OVE OUT OF ' TRADITIONAL' WOMEN'S
JOBS INTO MANAGEMENT OR SUPERVISORY ROLES OR INTO OCCUPATIONS
WHICH IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN LARGELY CLOSED TO WOMEN.
WE ARE ALSO ENCOURAGING EMPLOYERS TO CONCENTRATE THEIR EFFORTS
TOWARDS ENSURING THAT EXISTING EMPLOYEES AND NEW STAFF TAKE
FULL ADVANTAGE OF ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL TRAINING AND
PROMOT IONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION RESEARCH UNIT IN THE OFFICE OF THE STATUS
OF WOMEN REPORTS THAT PROGRESS TO DATE IS VERY ENCOURAGING.
MOST PARTICIPANTS HAVE ALREADY CHANGED THE WAY THEY ADVERTISE
JOBS, AND HAVE INFORMED THEIR EMPLOYEES OF T1HEIR DETERMINATION
TO REMOVE ANY CONTINUING DISCRIMINATION IN TH4EIR EMPLOYMENT
PRACTICES. THEY HAVE ALSO BEGUN CONSULTING WITH EMPLOYEES
AND UNIONS ON MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN
ALL AREAS AND AT ALL LEVELS WITHIN THEIR ORGANISATIONSI a s
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SOCIAL CHANGE CAN OFTEN EVOKE HOSTILE COMMUNITY REACTION.
ONLY COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR PROGRESSIVE MEASURES WILL ENSURE
THEY ARE ENDURING. OUR GRADUALIST APPROACH To AFFIRMATIVE
ACTION, GUIDED BY CLEAR PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES, WILL
DO PRECISELY THAT IN THE CASE OF THIS INITIATIVE.
ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT I THANK THOSE THIRTY-ONE
PARTICIPANTS IN THE PILOT PROGRAM. THE GOVERNMENT VALUES
THE CONSIDERABLE EFFORTS OF ALL THOSE INVOLVED.
ANOTHIER VITAL MEASURE TO HELP REMOVE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
WOMEN-IN THE WORKPLACE AND THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IS OUR
SEX DISCRIMINATION LEGISLATION PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
As WELL, WE HAVE APPOINTED MORE THAN 100 WOMEN To GOVERNMENT
BOARDS AND AUTHORITIES.
WOMEN ARE ALSO STARTING TO ACHIEVE THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE
AMONG THE SENIOR RANKS OF THE AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC SERVICE.
SINCE WE CAME TO OFFICE LAST YEAR THE NUMBER OF WOMEN IN
WHAT IS NOW TERMED THE SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE HAS MORE
THAN DOUBLED$ 8494.1/ 0
THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THAT THE AVAILABILITY OF CHILD CARE
FOR AUSTRALIAN FAMILIES IS IMPORTANT FOR MANY WOMEN. IN MY
POLICY SPEECH ON TUESDAY I PROMISED THAT IN OUR NEXT TERM
WE WOULD ADD AN ADDITIONAL 20,000 CHILD CARE PLACES AN
INCREASE OF ONE THIRD. THIS WILL PARTICULARLY ASSIST WOMEN
WANTING TO PARTICIPATE FULLY IN THE WORKFORCE.
I P) ISCUSSED THE ISSUE OF CHILD CARE AND OTHER MATTERS LAST
WEEK WITH MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN's CONSULTATIVE
COUNCIL, THE BODY CHARGED WITH CONVEYING THE VIEWS OF WOMEN
TO THE GOVERNMENT. AT THAT MEETING WE ALSO DISCUSSED
TAXATION. I ASSURED MEMBERS THAT THEY WOULD BE REPRESENTED
AT THE TAXATION SUMMIT NEXT YEAR AND WOULD HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DOCUMENTS WHICH WILL BE
CONSIDERED AT THE SUMMIT. THE GOVERNMENT IS AWARE OF
CONCERN AMONG SOME WOMEN ABOUT ASPECTS OF THE PRESENT
TAXATION SYSTEM SUCH-AS ITS INTERACTION WITH iTHE INCOME
SECURITY SYSTEM.
POSITIVE CHANGE OCCURS THROUGH THE ACTIONS OF INDIVIDUALS.
TODAY WE SALUTE THE EXCELLENCE OF ONE WOMAN IN BUSINESS,
THE AWARD OF AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR HAS
TENDED TO GO TO WOMEN WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY RUN THEIR
OWN BUSINESSES. BUT THIS YEAR's AWARD WILL GO TO ANl
OUTSTAND ING EMPLOYEE. a
I HAVE GREAT PLEASURE IN ANNOUNCING THAT THE WINNER-OF THE
AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR FOR 1984 IS BEVERLY.
HANCOCK. THIS YEAR'S WINNER IS THE DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR AND
MARKETING DIRECTOR'OF THE LARGE AND WELL KNOWN RETAIL GROUP,
SUS SAN.
BEVERLY HANCOCK BEGAN AS A JUNIOR SALES ASSISTANT AT
SPORTSGIRL IN MELBOURNE. TODAY SHE CONTROLS THE FASHION
DIRECTION AND MARKETING-OF THE SUSSAN GROUP'S 192 RETAIL
OUTLETS THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA.
ON BEHALF OF YOU ALL, I CONGRATULATE HER ON HER ACHIEVEMENTS
IN THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE WORLD OF FASHION RETAILING* HER
WIN IS THOROUGHLY DESERVED. INOW HAVE GREAT PLEASURE IN
PRESENTING THIS AWARD TO BEVERLY HANCOCK.
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