Food and drink industry leaders commit to inclusivity, diversity

Fonterra Co-operative has joined 21 other food and drink manufacturers in championing more inclusive and gender balanced workplaces by joining the National Association of Women in Operations (NAWO).

NAWO has more than 90 company members recognising the support NAWO brings, and the transformative impact of diversity and inclusivity within historically male-oriented sectors.

NAWO CEO Louise Weine said, “The commitment of these forward-thinking companies underscores a critical moment for action, where inclusivity is not just desirable but essential.

“The business case for inclusivity is compelling. We see time and again that truly inclusive companies are significantly more likely to deliver superior business outcomes, such as increased innovative capabilities.”

Weine said many organisations recognised the urgent need for change – pressing societal challenges including a national crisis of gender-based violence, and workforce shortages across multiple male oriented industries as identified in the government's Future Made in Australia plan – but don’t know where to start.

Driving change through action

Given this, NAWO’s commitment is to deliver action-oriented programs that empower organisations, leaders, allies and all employees to drive change through every day inclusive and respectful action and include:

1. Inclusion Habits for Operations Leaders Program

With its latest cohort commencing in July 2024, this pioneering 14-week program leverages neuroscience and technology to cultivate daily inclusion habits among operations leaders.

Participants engage in micro learning sessions, apply newfound insights to real-world workplace scenarios, and benefit from expert coaching, empowering them to spearhead change within their organisations.

Developed in collaboration with Emberin and a pilot study supported by GWF, Linfox, Opal, Programmed, Orora, Sydney Water and dss+, Weine said feedback has been highly positive.

All respondents in the post-program survey agreed or strongly agreed that the program increased their confidence in fostering an inclusive, safe and respectful workplace. One participant said, “Your program should be mandatory for all leaders in Australia so that we get a broader base in understanding and learning together about the value add of inclusion.”

Aligned with Inclusion Habits, this year NAWO is also part of the Victorian-funded WorkWell Respect Network Program initiative, to deliver impactful learning forums and resources designed to prevent and respond to workplace gendered violence.

2. Mentoring

NAWO’s mentoring program has been running for 12 years and has an alumni of more than 1000 people. It is designed specifically for mentoring women working in operations and providing ally support to male leaders driving change.

Mentees are professionally matched to ensure the best fit with the skills and experience of NAWO’s volunteer mentors and to meet the objectives of each mentee. Weine said they are seeing “record numbers” signing up for each cohort. 

3. Gender Equality Men (GEM) Program

This is NAWO’s newest initiative and was designed to complement its mentoring program. GEM supports men across operations with tools and resources to enhance their inclusive leadership capability and step up as gender equality advocates in their workplaces. 

Weine said it is already proving a solid success. Its latest cohort has 20 male leaders from eight companies in the retail, manufacturing and agriculture industries. Feedback at the halfway point check-in included: “The information, resources and mentor provided are excellent.”

With more than 90 corporate members and a national network of more than 20,000 people, NAWO is commited to facilitating the sharing of knowledge and solutions for systemic change. 

Recently, Amazon, BlueScope and CHEP (A Brambles Company) publicly shared the benefits they are obtaining from their NAWO membership in a short film.

Visit NAWO for more information on how your company can be a part of the change.