Coles supermarkets across the country have raised more than $250,000 over two weeks to support Fitted for Work, donating 10c from the purchase of every hair care, skin care and cosmetic product sold to the charity.
Funds raised this March will help Fitted for Work support unemployed and under-employed Australian women to get into or return to the workforce.
Fitted for Work Managing Director Donna de Zwart says this year’s fundraising support from Coles and its customers had been incredible and would go a long way towards helping Australian women in need.
“We want to share our heartfelt thanks to every customer who purchased a skincare, haircare or makeup product from Coles this March – they helped make this campaign a huge success,” she said.
“Thanks to the generous support of Coles, we can provide an additional 1600 women across Australia with job-readiness support, including resumé and cover letter advice, interview practice, personal outfitting and mentoring.
“At Fitted for Work, we believe in, we support, and we transform the work lives of women in the knowledge that when a woman is fitted for work, she is fitted for life. Through our partnership with Coles we aim to create a future that is equal, positive, and powerful for women in the workplace,” Ms de Zwart said.
Coles Group General Manager Corporate and Indigenous Affairs and chair of the Coles Gender Equity Steering Committee, Sally Fielke, was proud of the success of this year’s campaign timed to highlight International Women’s Day and thanked customers for their support.
“When people have the skills and resources to realise their economic potential, they make an important contribution to our workplaces, communities, and the lives of their families. We know many women continue to face barriers, and we’re proud the money raised from this campaign will help many women build more confidence and get a step closer to finding work,” she said.
“At Coles, we recognise that a gender-balanced workforce benefits us all, which is why organisations such as Fitted for Work that enable women to enter or return to the workforce are so important.”
Since 2005 Fitted for Work has supported over 40,000 women, with those accessing Fitted for Work’s services taking an average of 73 days to find employment compared with a national average of 17 months for women.
Coles Group recently achieved some of its most important gender equity commitments including 40% women in leadership, a company-wide gender pay parity gap of less than 1% and recognition as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).