Back Her Brilliance

• Business Done Differently

• Women as Agents of Change

• Sisterhood

• Connection

• Standing Tall

Janene Castillo, The Artspot

Snapshot 2019
Australian locations
Meet our sisters
Single mothers
Women 50+
On the ground
Our programs
Sister Tribe
Financials
What next
Get involved
Corporate gifting

Alli Kristiansen, Diilhami

As an organisation, Global Sisters is committed to helping women over 50 in Australia as startling figures indicate that older women are the fastest growing cohort of homeless in our affluent country.  This year we did a review of current literature available surrounding this particular age group to gain a better understanding of what barriers and life events lead to them being so vulnerable in later life.  More often than not financial instability or even poverty effect women over time outside systems and entrenched social norms.  Unpaid caring work see women taking on precarious, casualised work (if any) throughout their working life to achieve flexibility required for their caring roles.   This not only compromises their immediate earning capacity but in the long term diminishes leave and other entitlement as well as superannuation earnings. For single mothers in this age group, unpaid child support over many years can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost income.

The aim of the research was to inform the work of Global Sisters on how to better understand and support our sister school participants through the program, eliminating barriers such as agism and harmful gendered norms from our program.  It has been shown that in a casualised economy more people are inclined to start their own businesses and yet women facing financial hardship often become more risk averse regarding entrepreneurship – we wish to empower these women and help them achieve their own financial independence whilst restoring personal agency and confidence. Additionally, we are using the research to establish a core set of policy positions whereby we can support these and other women at a more systemic level through advocacy at community, state and federal levels particularly in the areas of superannuation and housing affordability initiatives.

Fiona Cork, In The Gothic Manner

“Working with a coach has helped me shift my mindset, and pushed me forward. I have now recruited two employees. Which is a big shift in the organisation, and I can now depend on those employees. My progression has been really fast and deep and meaningful – Keeping in consideration that I am a mum of six and I need to keep a balance, and now I can finally have weekends off. I have structure now, and am taking steps back to find balance.”

Mona, Sydney Sister

Florence Olugbemiro, Designed by Florence

Global Sisters supports Sisters in communities across five regions around Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and North-East Victoria.

In each of these regions we work in wonderful, diverse communities like Logan in Brisbane, Darebin in Melbourne and Benalla in regional Victoria. Not only do we connect with Sisters in these communities but connect with our place-based partners, which includes Councils, local businesses, corporates, NGOs, entrepreneurship networks and the startup, to create a collaborative ecosystem of community and business support for the Sisters. This ‘place based’, ecosystem approach is critical to the success of our model and women’s economic participation in the community.

Each community that we work in has a distinct local feel and we invite you to learn more about the places where Global Sisters is making business possible.

Vanessa McFarland, Nessie Jane Designs

“Global Sisters was referred to me through the ‘Work Readiness’ program as part of Logan’s Women Centre. After I left my violent relationship, I stopped drinking and began to find myself. I live quite rurally, which can be isolating. The My Big Idea workshop was a highlight for me, as it allowed me to think differently about my future, and about what I could create. Being part of the supportive SisterTribe is what has kept me involved.”

A Brisbane Sister

Veronica Jordan, Culture on the Move

We continue to offer two types of business loans to Sisters who have completed Sister School – a Start Up Purse and a Growth Wallet, designed specifically for early stage businesses.

To date, we have made four loans, with two fully repaid and active loans showing 100% on-time repayment. The business loans are provided as part of our overall roadmap of support, rather than a stand-alone finance product, and this is a key reason why repayment rates have been so successful, as is careful screening of applicant’s capacity to repay and analysis to project the impact of the loan on their business income growth.

In the early stages of business, Sisters typically prefer to reinvest profit, use savings or borrow from family and friends rather than taking formal finance. Our experience has been that when Sisters reach late stage start-up or growth stage, ie when they have market tested and refined their offering, they are then interested in business finance.  Sisters have used their loans to buy raw materials in bulk, for marketing costs, business skills development and transportation.

Business insurance remains the primary financial product needed by Sisters, and as such we are working with partners to ensure Sisters can access simple, affordable and relevant business insurance.

Shahla Namvar, Sculptures of the Earth

When speaking with our Sisters, what we have discovered is the impact of our MBI and SS programs, Incubate and Accelerate coaching and support, and our online and place based Sister Tribe is so much more than just seeing women ideate, create and activate business. Sisters always comment first on foremost on the confidence and community they gain, from their first interaction with Global Sisters. We are finding that the broader impact (or ripple effect) of Global Sisters transcends into all aspects of a sister’s world – many find themselves coming to us from extremely isolated environments. After joining GS they feel empowered, and become influencers, and role models to their children and family. And beyond that they are the biggest supporters of the other women who they bring alongside them for the ride. When the brilliance of each individual woman is realised (first by herself) and backed by those around her we see a community changing. A woman with a supplementing, or sustaining income will invest into her home and family. She will invest into the women around her, and she will curate a business that is good for her, good for her community and good for the planet. It’s incredible to be witness to how Global Sisters is shaping culture, through women taking the lead. That is our social impact.

Carla Risco Rodriguez, TREE KID

“It still blows my mind how much support and involvement you offer and create. I feel like I’ve barely begun to utilise everything available. Thank you so much for what you have collectively created. Tomorrow marks 1 year for my business. Party time!!! Yet so much more work to do to.”

Colleen, Magknitude

Maureen Regan, The Gut Shoppe

Our Sisters tell us that no amount of words can truly describe what it means to be part of the Sister Tribe. The sense of community and connection, support, fun, learning, and hope that comes from being part of our Tribe can quite literally be life-changing. Of course, there are learning outcomes every step of the way, and business iteration, creation, and implementation are a core focus of the Tribe, but that sense of belonging to something that is much bigger than any one individual is enormously empowering. As one Sister recently put it “The Sisters are almost like one voice. Having that team around you and hearing their stories, it does something: you realise that this thing is a lot bigger than you and you make sure that it works out. It stops you from quitting. I doubt I could have done it without them – I am learning about life from these amazing women.”

Milia Simielli, Milia Simielli Handmade / Corina Muir, Amber Days / Giselle Diego, Global Sisters

“Global sisters is the Yin and Yang of business – the soft and hard skills. Business courses tend to focus totally on the yang, but here I’ve learned the yin too which is just as important. I’ve been inspired ‘to create a bigger vision’. After becoming part of Global Sisters, I am now working ON THE BUSINESS, rather than always being IN THE BUSINESS, my business mind-set has completely changed.”

Glenis, Brisbane Sister

Smitha Shankavaram & Lokeswari Mangalagiri, Wrapturous