UN Women Australia and Westpac have today announced a significant three year partnership – in a move which sees the Australian banking giant increase its commitment from an event sponsor to a fully-fledged partner, aligned in purpose and impact on gender equality.
UN Women Australia and Westpac have a proud history of working together over the last ten years, however this latest commitment signifies a big step forward in setting the tone for private sector partnerships built on social purpose, leadership and reciprocity.
UN Women Australia CEO Simone Clarke said that today’s announcement heralded a new era for partnerships thanks to Westpac’s continued commitment and leadership in championing the empowerment of women with a focus on financial resilience and confidence.
“Often conversations regarding partnerships and collaboration miss the mark. But when you encounter a partner like Westpac, who are committed to and aligned with a shared purpose and intent – it’s a gamechanger – and the possibilities for purposeful collaboration are limitless,” she said.
“Partnerships at their core have to be based on strategic alignment, shared purpose and objectives. We want to work with the private sector on common agendas to leverage our collective strengths and shared intent to advance and accelerate gender equality.”
“When it comes to championing issues around gender equality, there is no question in my mind that this is part of Westpac’s DNA,” said Ms Clarke.
Westpac CEO, Peter King, said Westpac is proud to extend its partnership with UN Women Australia.
“Equality, in all its forms, is a focus for Westpac. There is more we can do, and I am personally committed to driving positive change in this area. With the support of UN Women Australia, we will continue to advance gender equity and amplify our work to help build financial confidence for women.
“Within our own company, we are proud to have been a leader in setting policies for women in the workplace and that continues today. We want all voices in the company to be equally heard, to eliminate gender pay inequality if it exists, and to ensure there are no gender barriers to people’s aspirations,” he said.
Westpac has long been a corporate leader for gender equality in Australia– from appointing the first female bank teller to the first female CEO of a Bank in Australia. They were the first Australian bank to open a Bank account for women and the first Australian company to have female shareholders. In 1995, Westpac was the first listed company in Australia to provide paid parental leave.
On a global stage Westpac was one of the founding member banks of the Financial Alliance for Women (FAW) and is a signatory to the UN Global Compact Women’s Empowerment Principles.
In late 2021 Westpac again affirmed its commitment to championing gender equality and reframing gender stereotypes, signing on as one of the founding members of the Australian chapter of the Unsteroptype Alliance – a global coalition to tackle harmful stereotypes in advertising and media content.
Over the next three years Westpac and UN Women Australia will work together on delivering financial confidence for women.
