Freehills officially recognised as an EOWA Employer of Choice for Women for second consecutive year
04 March 2008Freehills has been formally recognised as an Employer of Choice for Women by the Australian Government’s Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) for the second consecutive year.
The prestigious EOWA Employer of Choice for Women citation acknowledges Freehills’ commitment to leading the profession in its support for women and enhancing the career experiences of female employees of the firm.
Freehills board member and Chair of the Women at Freehills committee, Rebecca Davies, accepted the certification on behalf of the firm.
In response to the award, Ms Davies said “We are extremely pleased to receive the EOWA Employer of Choice for Women citation for a second consecutive year. We are making substantial progress in addressing gender issues within the firm and today is about formally celebrating our successes and achievements in this area.”
“To receive this prestigious citation demonstrates that a focus on women remains high on our strategic agenda. Freehills is strongly committed to increasing the proportion of women partners in the firm and retaining our talented lawyers in roles that meet their expectations," Ms Davies said.
Freehills’ successful initiatives include:
• Formal mentoring programs to support high potential female partners;
• Women in Business program aimed at fostering networks among women at all stages in their careers;
• Women at Freehills initiative which aims at attracting, retaining and developing the best people;
• Family friendly and flexible working policies including generous parental leave, emergency childcare resources and newly introduced support for staff attending firm events and training programs to assist them manage family responsibilities;
• Corporate mums program;
• Focussed programs for junior women lawyers developed by them, mentored by our senior associates.
According to EOWA, the Employer of Choice for Women citation recognises organisations who address the barriers women face in the workforce and who demonstrate they have policies and practices that support women across the organisation, producing positive outcomes for both women and the business.
Year on year EOWA’s selection process is increasingly stringent and this year was no exception with a further six pre-requisites added to the selection criteria. Freehills not only met these prerequisites but applauded EOWA for raising the bar for what it means to be an Employer of Choice for Women.
Public Affairs Assistant Manager
imogen.cornell@freehills.com
+61 2 9322 4709+61 400 644 427
