Leading Equal Opportunity for Women - with Helen Conway

Helen Conway has, by her own admission, always been an agitator. As the experienced lawyer, senior executive, NED and workplace gender equality expert tells Claire Braund in this podcast, it was her “contrary nature” which compelled her to get involved when she saw something that was not right.

“I may have made a few enemies along the way, but you have to be courageous enough to stand up for what is right, and ultimately you get a return on that investment.”

Helen spent 10 years in private legal practice, including seven years as a partner in a major law firm in Sydney before moving into the corporate sector, where she worked as a senior executive in the insurance transport, energy, retail and construction industries for 18 years. “I love the cut and thrust of the commercial environment”.

At the same time, she undertook various directorships and the health transport and superannuation sectors.

But she's probably most famous for her next role, leading the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency through its transition into the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

Helen has a long track record of supporting women. She was a member of the New South Wales Equal Opportunity Tribunal for a decade, including three years as its Senior Judicial Member, was involved with a halfway house for released women prisoners and helped set up the Women’s Legal Centre. She is now Chair of YWCA Australia and YWCA Housing as well as Chair of Women for Election Australia.  

In this podcast Helen talks about the pivotal role of the WGEA and why there is still a need to not just talk about gender equality, but to act. As she puts it: “A lot of people TALK about gender equality…I’m more interested in the doing.”