Australia’s national women-focused business chamber is running an online survey to find out what women in business want and need to run a profitable business. The Australian Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI) hopes to hear from many of the 700,000 women it says run their own small businesses in Australia…

Fiona Simpson, an outspoken voice of NSW farmers’ campaign over mining access to agricultural land, became the first female President of the state’s Farmers’ Association in July. She took over the presidency with a winning 232 votes over incumbent Charles Armstrong’s 147 and attributed her win to the members’ appetite for organisational change…

Caroline Robinson, a sheep and wool producer and rural entrepreneur from WA’s wheat belt, is this year’s national Australian Rural Women’s Award winner. She was also a state award winner alongside national runner-up Barbara Grey (Qld), and Angela Betheras (Vic), Karen Hutchinson (NSW), Kim Blenkiron (SA), and Jackie Brown (Tas)…

Gina Rinehart’s $10.3 billion mining fortune has given her top ranking on BRW magazine’s ‘Rich 200′ list – the first time a woman has reached number one or that anyone on the list has breached the $10 billion mark…

Over 42,000 new and expecting parents have applied for the government-funded Paid Parental Leave scheme in its first three months, with nearly 17,000 already receiving payments and low-income earners reaping the benefits…

After announcing government plans to reform the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency, Minister Kate Ellis released estimates showing reporting costs for businesses were likely to fall…

The federal agency that administers the workplace equal opportunity for women legislation is being renamed the Workplace Gender Equality Agency. Helen Conway will be its new director from late April. Under new reforms, Minister Kate Ellis said reporting would move away from ‘hollow plans and promises’ to ‘tangible outcomes [about] how women and men are actually faring in the workplace’…

Ninety eight Australian businesses committed to workplace gender equality have been awarded the Employer of Choice for Women citation from the government’s Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency…

The increasing female workforce of over-45 year olds is seen as one potential solution to Australia’s projected shrinking labour market. It also reveals the changing face of women’s employment patterns over their lifetime…

Seventy Australian women awarded Board Diversity Scholarships will take a further step into the male-dominated company board rooms – and the 1,900-plus applications received helps dispel a myth that women aren’t interested such roles…