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One of Australia’s biggest real estate brands has publicly thrown its support behind International Women’s Day, which is being celebrated worldwide this 8 March 2021.
Now in its 110th year, the annual event is not only an important reminder of how far women have come, but also “where we need to go”, Anjee Hopton, Raine & Horne’s national marketing manager, has expressed.
“We are celebrating the fact that we have some incredibly strong, wonderful women in our network, who are successful in all aspects of leadership, have a fantastic range of skills, and strive for the best possible outcomes in everyday life,” she said.
“It is particularly significant to me now as a new mother of a young baby girl, who will one day be asserting herself in the community, workplace and schoolyard, and it indicates a pathway of change for women in all facets of life.”
It’s a day of reflection for many of the women among Raine & Horne’s ranks, regardless of their time spent within the industry.
Amber Boumelhem, of Raine & Horne St Marys, may have only commenced her sales career in October of 2020, but she has already notched up 40 sales in that time.
She considered International Women’s Day “such a powerful day for women and is a great way for us to celebrate our achievements”.
Having acknowledged the day’s importance ever since her time at school, Ms Boumelhem is thrilled by this year’s IWD theme: “Choose to Challenge”.
“Before I started in real estate sales, I’d describe myself as cautious,” she said.
“But I have found my calling, and I love the challenge of putting the right buyers and sellers together.
“Back in October, I would never have believed that I could sell 40 properties in five months. It is still a shock. However, I’m proud of what I’ve achieved.”
Sally Ness, the co-principal of Raine & Horne Strathalbyn, has also thrown her support behind the day’s meaning.
Noting that the traction behind International Women’s Day is “gaining speed”, the business owner said the Strathalbyn community celebrates with an event where successful local women talk about how they have flourished.
While she admits she only really became aware of International Women’s Day in the last eight or so years, “in my family, it was a case of it doesn’t matter who you are, we were just encouraged to go for it”.
And despite conceding that the challenges associated with balancing work, the business and her family can pose a significant test, Ms Ness will be the first to assert that “having children didn’t mean I couldn’t do my job”.
It’s a sentiment with which Ms Hopton agrees.
She has considered International Women’s Day as “an excellent reminder of how challenging it can be to balance work and family” — a sentiment especially true in a male-dominated industry such as real estate.
In spite of such tests, “causes such as International Women’s Day remind us that there is a network of like-minded strong women across Australia who are all facing similar challenges in the workplace, home environment and in finding a work/life balance”, the national marketing manager concluded.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.
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