Dear friends & colleagues,
It is with great pride that I present to you the CAA Women in Leadership Strategy, which is a commitment of our industry to improve gender balance across Australian, New Zealand and PNG ambulance services.
Over the last two years, I had the privilege to work alongside some inspirational women from our member services who helped write the Strategy, working group's annual plans and set up the Women in Ambulance campaign that was launched earlier this year.
While progress is being made in this space it is important that this topic stays front and centre and we actively work towards a more gender-balanced workplace, where women have the same career opportunities as their male counterparts, hold leadership roles and have a chance to contribute to building better services.
We are lucky to have two wonderful female role models sitting on the CAA Board, Michelle Fyfe and Judith Barker, who both I know will work tirelessly alongside our male Board members to further this agenda.
I would like to thank the CAA Women in Leadership working group members: Carol Shipp and Rebecca Lundy from ACTAS, Cathie McNamara and Debra Salter from ATAS, Michelle Murphy and Suzy D'Andrea from AV, Michelle Baxter and Rebecca Taylor from QAS, Kalena Smitham and Paula Sinclair from NSWAS, Lorraine Amos and Saffron Kennedy from SAAS, Amanda Reibelt and Taleaha Dawson from St John NT, Sue Steen and Norma Lane from St John NZ, Karen Steward and Tara Doyle from St John WA, Jec Sanders and Sarah Lewis from WFA and our co-chairs Judith Barker, St John NT and Michelle Fyfe, St John WA for their commitment and work on the Strategy and working group.
We hope that with this Strategy we start putting building blocks in place that will lead to a more gender-balanced ambulance industry and introduce more women to senior and executive management roles and sector leaders.
With kindest regards,
Mojca Bizjak-Mikic
General Manager
We checked in with Judith Barker and Michelle Fyfe to hear their thoughts on the importance of having an industry-wide Women in Leadership Strategy and the progress the CAA Women in Leadership working group has made in two short years since its inception.
We were honoured to have the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern record a message for our attendees at the 2019 Women in Leadership Forum in Perth.
As a strong female leader who has taken her country through the Christchurch terror attacks, Whakaari / White Island eruption tragedy and is now successfully managing the COVID-19 pandemic, she is a true inspiration to us all.
The Prime Minister shared with us how she leads as a woman and has never compromised her feminine approach in the harsh political environment she works in.
In March, the Council of Ambulance Authorities was proud to launch the inaugural Women in Ambulance campaign designed to highlight successful and hardworking women in ambulance services across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
This year the CAA Women in Ambulance campaign recognised 58 women who have been awarded the CAA Women in Ambulance Honour for their work and career progression and are being championed as role models to the rest of the workforce.
Below we have highlighted three of these incredible women. For their full biographies and to learn about all 58 women visit our website.
The CAA Women in Ambulance campaign is looking to empower and inspire future generations of women to step into ambulance careers and progress into leadership roles and management levels.
Congratulations to all our honour recipients and thank you for everything you do.
Nominations for 2021 CAA Women in Ambulance Honourees will open in November 2020.
