When women are given equal opportunities to lead, contribute, and grow, organisations benefit from diverse perspectives and ideas, says Managing Director Westpac Pacific Emma Low.

She shared this during a trip to Fiji last month.

During her visit, Ms Low spoke about the power and value of mentorship with the Women of Westpac (WOW) Fiji. WoW Fiji is part of a larger employee action group within the Westpac Group with the mission to “help all women across Westpac reach their full potential and thrive”.

“Empowering women in the workplace is not just a matter of fairness – it’s essential for fostering innovation and driving success,” she said.

“When women are given equal opportunities to lead, contribute, and grow, organisations benefit from diverse perspectives and ideas, which are crucial for problem-solving and creativity.

“It’s especially important because over 60% of our employees are female and 40% are in leadership roles.”

As a financial institution, Westpac is also proud to be a signatory for the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (WE-Fi) Code, which was launched last month. This new initiative aims to foster financial inclusion and empowerment for female business owners, aligning well with Westpac’s ongoing support for education and diversity in the community.

Westpac’s active involvement in promoting gender equality is evident through its Women and Girls Education Grant program, which has been running for the past 13 years. Through its financial literacy program, Westpac has trained over 39,000 women in the past 10 years, and the bank hosts an annual International Women’s Day walk at different venues around the country each year.