1. had to work harder than a male counterpart to prove yourself?

2. earnt less than a male colleague in the same job?

3. been expected to take minutes because of your gender and not your role?

Kerrie Challenor

With a scarcity of data on women in insurance and only anecdotal evidence of many issues, the first Women in Insurance Survey has been launched to capture the experiences of women in all sectors of the business.

The Survey, an initiative of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance’s Women’s Council, which comprises women working in a range of areas of insurance, seeks to identify issues facing women in the industry and possible areas of action.

“This is a topical subject and over the last few years there have been other surveys to gain the views of women in business and the challenges they face. However, they have been more generic and not specific to the insurance industry.  Our members told us that the industry needs to understand their issues in more depth,” said Kerrie Challenor, Deputy Chair of the Women’s Council and RBI Commercial Portfolio, Pricing and Underwriting Manager at IAG.

“The women’s council was set up to promote engagement and the exchange of knowledge and expertise between women across the industry. Through this survey we will be able to dive into the issues women in our industry face and be better placed to work together to provide relevant opportunities to support their career development.”

The research builds on other Women’s Council initiatives including the Women Succeeding in Business series, taking place across Australia this month, and the popular Women in Insurance LinkedIn group.

The Survey is launched as debate over women and work issues leads headlines, with Curtin University research showing significant increases in the wealth gap between men and women over the past decade and Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick being named the 2014 Woman of Influence.

Female ANZIIF members interested in taking the survey who have not received the survey via email are invited to contact the Institute by emailing customerservice@theinstitute.com.au.

Women working in insurance who are not Institute members are welcome to join the ANZIIF Women in Insurance LinkedIn group to contribute to the dialogue.

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