In 2022-23 Global Sisters supported women in their business journeys via:

Global Sisters pro bono coaching and services is responsible for connecting experts from companies with Sisters. Our corporate partners are organisations who help deliver crucial business education and coaching to Sisters. It is mutually beneficial with companies being able to offer meaningful, high impact 1:1 volunteer opportunities to their staff and meet their ESG/ DEI goals.

This year we were also delighted to welcome back returning corporate partners

Global Sisters Marketplace is Australia’s dedicated marketplace supporting women-led micro businesses aligned to do #GOODbusiness. The Marketplace makes it easy for customers to shop ethically, and with purpose, and supports brands which put people and our planet first. And, at the same time, supporting female-founders; helping them own their economic future.

Award Winner

Global Sisters was named the winner of the 2022 SIMNA Award for Innovation in Social Impact Measurement, ahead of a stellar line up of outstanding change-markers. The award focuses on the important work being done to measure and provide evidence of the social change being achieved through Global Sisters’ world-first programs. 

Global Sisters was awarded the AMP Foundation’s 30th Anniversary grant of $1 Million – available to not-for-profits delivering positive change.

The AMP Foundation’s partnership with Global Sisters started in 2016. By enabling Global Sisters to create a scalable model, more women can now generate an income and improve their long-term economic security.

Mandy says

“With this generous support, we will make a profound difference to 300 single mothers and their children – by providing a pathway to financial independence through self-employment. Our goal is that self-employment becomes a genuine alternative to welfare dependence or low paid, unstable work for women all over Australia”.

In May 2023, The Financial Service Providers Forum brought together 59 Financial Sector Service Providers including 79 participants. Global Sisters was able to spotlight the lived experiences of female founders and women-led micro business.

The line up of speakers provided synthesis of ecosystem challenges, financial product innovation and testing insights for business related insurance, financing and credit, superannuation and financial planning. Each called to action Australia’s largest banking and financial institutions, asking them to solve access barriers, gender bias and exclusion of women from micro-business while accelerating sector growth.

Funded under the ECSTRA Foundation*, the Global Sisters Women’s Economic Security Pathways Program has launched a new Insurance Platform 12-month pilot, and is in discussions for two financing initiatives that would complement the existing Microfinance options (NIL and Low Interest lending) we currently extend to active members.

Revisit the incredible design conversations from the forum and play sessions on-demand.

*Ecstra is a not for profit organisation committed to building the financial capability and wellbeing of Australians within a fair financial system, working with partners to ensure that more Australians are confident making money decisions today and are planning for the future.

Program

Global Sisters partnered with the Better Together Australia-Asean Women Entrepreneurs Program 2022. The program aimed to build the capabilities of women entrepreneurs from the Philippines and Indonesia, and connect them to the Australian market. 

The project was funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in collaboration with the  Australia-ASEAN Council and implemented through Deakin Business School, Deakin University with multi-country and multisectoral partners.

Global Sisters proudly worked with 15 women-led businesses and social enterprises under this partnership. 

Partnership

Global Sisters is proud to have been selected to be part of MECCA’s M-POWERED COLLECTIVE, working to shift the dial on gender equality.

The 2022/23 financial year has seen Global Sisters continue to grow and strengthen our relationships with corporate, philanthropic and government partners. 2022/23 was the first year of a 4 year funding agreement under the Federal Government’s Women’s Leadership and Development Program. This project focuses on women who experience intersectional barriers to economic participation and supports them on a pathway to self employment. This financial year, we also received a grant from Google.org to fund a 3 year demonstration project to support women living with a disability start their own micro-business. In addition to these new multi-year funding agreements as well as others that are currently in place, we continue to receive ongoing support from both new and long-term partners, all committed to accelerating women’s economic security.

The majority of our expenditure has once again been incurred on programs directly supporting our Sisters as well as our Systems Change interventions which are aimed at sustaining and leveraging business income to change women’s long-term economic security. We are committed to keeping our infrastructure costs as low as possible and we thank our partners who provide services at pro bono or discounted rates for helping us to achieve this objective.