The Anna Stewart Project is a Union run program to empower women and improve gender diversity, equality and rights in the workplace.
CPSU/CSA members Tshakoyi Ndjeka, Jane Downsborough, Kerry Lennon and Sinead Glackin have all joined “The Annas” for a week of eye-opening stories and training.
Sinead, a local area coordinator at Communities said she’s excited about her on-going journey of being a Delegate.
“I want to absorb everything I can. For me it’s about an opportunity to get some more tools and meet some other inspiring women and just promote the cause!”
Jane, who works at the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority, said she thought it would be an interesting and challenging thing to do.
“I see the on-going relevance and importance of the collective bargaining power of the Union. But I also see the decline in Union membership and I thought it would be a good place to contribute to that space.”
The Anna Stewart Project seeks to bring change to the workplace by empowering women with industrial relations knowledge, new workplace skills and a new social network of working women in Perth.
Kerry, a Peer Support Officer at Acacia Prison, said the role of a Delegate can be isolating, so it’s great to meet a variety of different people from a number of different agencies.
“My aim after the program is to build our membership of women, we have a lot more males in our workplace, so I would love to get a women’s group established,” she said.
Tshakoyi, who works in adult community corrections said she always been around really strong women.
“We’ve always had men who supported us and seen women as equal. So, to hear that there are men in our community who don’t support equality, it’s crazy.
“I hope the changes we make through this program, make a difference,” she said.
And, after the first day, Sinead was already making her voice heard.
“We had a very powerful presentation, someone who shared their personal journey through domestic violence and something that resonated with me was; ‘Go and talk to your men!’
“I picked up my brother after that presentation and literally that afternoon I had the conversation to make the change. That one talk caused action,” she said.
