Mentoring organisation Women in Media has unveiled its 2023 cohort of the Relaunch Project, with 16 media professionals.
The program, running for the second year in a row and supported by Google News Initiative, aims to empower and upskill women to return to the workforce after taking time out from their careers.
Run over six months from February 2023, The Women in Media Relaunch Program, will offer the women a chance to hear directly from experts in leadership, industry innovation, new technologies and personal development.
Women in Media founder and co-chair, Victoria Laurie, noted the high calibre of individuals selected for the program.
“The collective media knowledge and skill of these women reinforces that the media industry needs to do more to retain and encourage female talent," Laurie said.
"We know from our members that returning to work after a break can be daunting and anxiety inducing -- confidence in themselves and their skills is crucial, and they can feel distinctly disconnected.”
Participants in the Women in Media Relaunch Project 2023 share vast careers having worked with leading international and Australian media including Time magazine, BBC, Martha Stewart Living, NBC News Today Show, Seven News and Sunrise, Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian, SBS, ABC TV and radio including AM, PM and The World Today, WIN News, Good Weekend, Qantas magazine, The Australian Women’s Weekly, Women of Colour, The Australian, News Limited, Herald Sun, Gladstone Observer, Sky News, SBS News, The New Daily, WeAre8, Fremantle Media, Bauer Media, New Zealand Herald and The Daily Mail Australia.
The Women in Media Relaunch Project was created to benefit women who have taken a break from their career, often after life changes like having children, moving internationally, or shifting sectors but also due to industry changes like redundancy and closures. These women share common ground, seeking to take back their career in media.
Google News Initiative’s Uma Patel said the program was a unique opportunity for professional women and the media industry.
“The Women in Media Relaunch Project not only empowers women to return to work and build a stronger professional network, but also helps to ensure that the workforce continues to be inclusive, diverse and adaptable,” Patel said.
Women in Media encourages industry employers to more actively embrace gender issues to retain the talent in their ranks. Research has shown for some time that companies with gender balanced workplaces have higher profitability, better decision-making processes, and stronger value propositions.
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