I was 20 when I walked down the aisle and into an arranged marriage. Just a few years later, I found myself deeply unhappy, lost, and searching for a way out. Like so many women before me, the idea of starting over on my own was daunting.
Thankfully, I was one of the lucky ones. The skills I’d learned as a financial planner emboldened me to take the leap and leave my marriage, knowing that I could earn and manage my own money independently.
Ever since that moment, I understood just how life-changing financial freedom can be for a woman – and what life might look like without it. This was the inspiration behind The Remarkable Woman, a social enterprise that aims to help close the gender pay gap by connecting women with the resources and mentoring they need to succeed.
Now, we’ve taken that mission one step further with ELLADEX. Created for women, by women, it offers countless education, networking, and mentoring opportunities all in one place. Think of it as a digital rolodex for women who have a thirst for knowledge and self-development, both personally, professionally and financially.
Demanding a seat at the table
Despite all the strides that have been made towards gender equality in recent years, we still have a long way to go until we clear the obstacles that so many women face at work.
Earlier this year, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency reported that the gender pay gap had increased from 13.8% to 14.1%, with the professional, scientific, and technical industries having the biggest disparity in earnings. While the contributing factors are varied, one thing is certain – we still have a long way to go.
Like so many women in Australia, I know first-hand how difficult it can be to not only get a seat at the table but to be taken seriously once you’re there. I’ve faced sexual harassment, scepticism, and even claims that I was ‘too young and too pretty’ to be mentored.
I want to help empower women across all industries and walks of life, so they can build the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to ask for what they want – and deserve – in their careers.
Creating space for ambitious women
If there was ever any doubt that women are ambitious, the community of 25,000+ female professionals using ELLADEX puts this to rest.
Our own research backed this up. It found 93% of women want to work on their careers, with 92% wanting access to mentoring, 91% wanting to improve their personal skills and 60% wanting to learn how to make and manage more money. The drive and the passion are there, we just need to nurture it.
With this in mind, ELLADEX enlisted the wisdom of some truly inspiring Australian career women, such as Tracey Spicer AM, Jana Pitman, and Catherine Fox AM as exclusive content creators and brand ambassadors. With access to incredible coaching sessions and insightful content from female leaders, the opportunity to develop skills across personal, professional, and financial spheres is now in the pocket of every ambitious woman.
Workplace gender inequality is a beast we need to tackle on a social, institutional, and personal level. There is no doubt that seeing more women achieving their career goals and sitting in positions of power will enrich every aspect of our world.
That is a change we all have to take part in, regardless of gender. In the meantime, my hope is that ELLADEX inspires women to reclaim the power and confidence that has always belonged to them in the first place.