This week’s snap poll is all about numbers! The Australian Bureau of Statistics announced on 15 May that the average Australian women’s wage is now $52,166 per annum. How does your salary compare? Click on the poll at the top right of this page to see how our community of (mostly) business owners is tracking against this milestone.

Introducing….. herVoice’s first newsletter, our Autumn 2008 edition!In this issue, you’ll find information on:

• our lobbying and advocacy activities
• free business success webinars
• a raft of free personal and business financial resources
• how to have your say about paid parental leave

plus lots more….With a growing community of over 20,000 female entrepreneurs across Australia, we have the numbers and extensive networks to build strongly on the political momentum we’ve already generated - and would love to have your input and feedback along the way, to ensure that our lobbying reflects the issues that YOU see as important to building and growing a viable business in today’s dynamic political and economic environment.

 I’d like to make herVoice’s Winter edition bigger, brighter and even more tailored to our community’s interests and issues, so please call me on (07) 5592 3083  or drop me a line at susan@abn.org.au with your feedback and suggestions - I’d love to hear from you! 

 I hope you find our newsletter informative and interesting!

Warm regards

Susan McGrath

The Productivity Commission has invited the ABN to contribute to its enquiry into Paid Maternal, Paternal and Parental Leave.  The issue of paid parental leave is one that is regularly raised by members, so we want to make the most of this opportunity to have your voice heard by the decision makers.

As well as the effects of paid parental leave on working women, we’re particularly interested in the opportunity to comment on the effects of paid parental leave on business - and would love to have your input on the following questions: 

• For employers, do you offer paid parental leave?
• If so, what are the arrangements?
• What share of your workforce has taken parental leave?
• Do you think your firm’s leave arrangements have influenced this?
• If so, in what way?
• What has been the effect on your firm of staff taking parental leave?
• Have you been successful in getting employees to return after parental leave?

 Other questions raised by the Commission relate to: 

• current arrangements for parental leave
• the effect of parental leave on wellbeing
• the impacts of leave and return to work decisions on career prospects and family income and
• the best arrangements for a paid family scheme.

For a copy of the issues paper, please contact Susan McGrath on susan@abn.org.au, or call (07) 5592 3083 / 0439 908 108.  Our deadline to submit our response is 2 June , so we’d appreciate receiving all comments by Wednesday 28 May.

In a recent survey members of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network indicated that due to a lack of work/life balance they were feeling stressed. So over the last two weeks we’ve been asking you to tell us why you qualify to win a copy of a new book Hurry Up and Meditate, by David Michie, and according to the publishers this book is written for people in a hurry and its message is simple: meditation will help you combat stress, cultivate happiness, enhance your performance, realise yours goals and attain mastery of your mental, emotional and material destiny…

Here are some of the more humourous responses we received:”Because I Muse, I’m Energetic, (in) Demand, Industrious, Tenacious, Active, Tired, and above all, I’m Expecting! “”I need to hurry up and meditate as I keep on being late, with stress and fluctuating weather and always running with skates! It would be great to learn the tricks to meditate and practice without complicate! Please consider me for a copy and do not hesitate!”"Two micro-businesses to run, two children, one husband, two aging in-laws and seven pets to mother. Need I say more? Wishing you less stress and more success…”"No time to explain, too stressed!”Thanks to Allen and Unwin for donating the books and congratulations to our winners : Fiona McAnna, Karen Robertson, Tracy Bell, Barb Blashk, Noelle Sadinsky, Rina Lee, Melissa Whitby, Jennifer Lawson, Zita Santa, Marian Hamilton-Kerr