Latest news with #femaleLeadership
Reuters
28-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Samoa dissolves parliament after leader unable to pass budget
SYDNEY, May 28 (Reuters) - Samoa's parliament will dissolve on June 3 and the Pacific Island nation will hold an election at an unspecified date, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa said on Wednesday. Fiame was unable to gain enough support to pass budget legislation in parliament on Monday and said in a statement that she had advised Samoa's head of state, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, that parliament should be dissolved. A dissolution notice was signed and gazetted on Wednesday. Fiame was elected in 2021, one of the Pacific's few female leaders, and faced a months-long court battle when the incumbent who had held power for two decades disputed the result. Unlike her predecessor, Fiame was sceptical of Chinese investment, and raised the international profile of the nation of 200,000 people by hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting last year. Fiame was expelled from her political party, FAST, in January in a factional dispute.
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Heartache for Sussan Ley just days after she made history as the first female leader of the Liberal Party
Opposition leader Sussan Ley has announced the tragic passing of her mother just days after she made history as the Liberal Party's first female leader. More to come.
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Nat Barr has a heart to heart with new Liberal leader live on air - prompting the TV host to reflect on her own secret struggle
Opposition leader Sussan Ley has revealed a personal heartbreak in her first TV interview since she replaced Peter Dutton in the role - prompting Sunrise host Nat Barr to recall her own struggles balancing work and her family life. Barr congratulated Ley on being Australia's first female Liberal leader and asked how she responded to the party voting her in. 'Well, the first thing I did, Nat, was jump in the car after the big press conference and come back to see my mum, who is in end-of-life care here in Albury,' Ley said. Ley, 63, secured 29 votes compared to Angus Taylor's 25 when the Liberals met on Tuesday at Parliament House in Canberra, before she travelled to Albury on the NSW and Victorian border. Member for Fairfax, Ted O'Brien, secured the deputy role. 'I want to thank everyone for their good wishes, mums are very special,' Ley said. 'My mum raised me to be the woman I am, I just wanted to talk with her, to speak to my daughters and my son, and to reflect - with gratitude - on the experiences I've had in this incredible country.' Ley, who was born in Nigeria to English parents, said that she arrived in Australia as a migrant and had raised her children here and 'worked many different jobs, including on the farm as a farmer's wife, as I call myself'. 'Mine is a modern Australian story, like so many other women and families I meet. It's an enormous privilege and humbling experience taking on this role, and I'm very grateful for the faith and trust my party room has placed in me.' Barr thanked Ley, the Member for Farrer, for her candour and shared her own honest reflection, admitting that holding a high-profile role comes with significant challenges. 'When you take on these big roles your personal life doesn't stop, and we're so sorry you're going through that with your mum, love to you and your family,' Barr said. Barr revealed earlier this month she spent much of last year downhearted after her two sons Hunter, 18, and Andrew, 22, moved out, leaving her and husband Andrew Thompson alone in their 'quiet' Mosman house. 'I'm not feeling the new chapter yet,' she previously told Stellar Magazine. 'The first one left several years ago and he's at uni in Melbourne and the second one left a few weeks ago, he went to uni in Canberra. 'We packed up the car, drove him down, said goodbye and drove back bawling our eyes out. 'You say all the right things: You have all this freedom, you can do what you want, it's a new beginning for you. But I don't feel that yet, I honestly just feel sad. 'I was shocked about how sad it was. I spent all last year being sad.' After the emotional moment, Barr quickly returned to her trademark no-nonsense style of questioning. 'Let's get back to business, that's the job,' Barr said. 'There's talk that the Nationals may opt out of the Coalition. One contentious issue is your plan to retain the nuclear policy. Where do you stand?' The Coalition agreement is negotiated after every election and determines policy positions taken by the parties, as well as how the frontbench responsibilities are split up. Ley said a decision had not been reached on whether the Coalition will ditch the nuclear policy it took to the last election, which would have built seven reactors by the mid-2030s across five states. She added it was a 'private conversation' and did not reveal what they talked about, but added it was a 'productive and positive first meeting, and it won't be the last'. She said the Coalition needed to better represent 'modern Australia'. 'It's a big challenge,' Barr said. 'Women and young people have abandoned your party in large numbers. What's one thing you know you want to change?' Ley responded: 'The hard work women do balancing careers, family, childcare, aging parents, the mortgage. I've met so many women in those situations, and on my own journey is similar.
ABC News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Ley's record on women questioned
The Liberal Party has made history in the shadow of its historic defeat ... electing Sussan Ley as its first female Federal leader. One former colleague has questioned her record on supporting women, but others have praised her appointment. Rival candidate Angus Taylor was just a few votes behind, and Sussan Ley is promising to harness the talents of all in the Party room.
Arab News
13-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
New initiative aims to support women in Saudi creative sector
RIYADH: An initiative supporting the next generation of female talent in Saudi Arabia's creative marketing industry was launched by Athar Saudi Festival of Creativity in Riyadh on Tuesday. The Maheerah Network is a year-round program focused on training, leadership development and professional networking. Adel Baraja, CEO of Publicis Groupe KSA, which is behind Maheerah, said that the program was designed to be led by women already working in the industry. 'Maheerah Network is an expert-led program by women in the industry, supporting and growing businesses in Saudi Arabia, and helping educate women pursuing careers in communication,' he told Arab News. Baraja said that there was a need to develop creative strategists through practical experience and professional growth, noting that many students graduating in fields such as marketing and design still faced challenges translating their academic knowledge into strategic creative work. 'We need a lot more creative strategists for both men and women in this case. And you cannot graduate as a creative strategist; you have to grow that skill.' During a panel titled 'Owning your voice: Authentic Female Leadership in Saudi Arabia,' held at the launch event, Nadin Al-Alami, business lead at MSL KSA, emphasized the importance of having authentic leadership in the communications sector. 'It's a very dynamic industry and so flexible, and without authentic leadership, you cannot survive, especially that most of the workforce is Generation Z,' she said. Al-Alami said that managing Gen Z professionals required a purpose-driven and trust-based approach. 'You cannot just impose things on Gen Z without having them believe in your purpose and your vision, without connecting them, without having them trust you.' Al-Alami also underlined the role of cultural intelligence in building internal culture and driving progress. 'Cultural intelligence is bringing all those authentic values and approach to dealing with our people to create a very positive culture and without this, there is no way forward.' Al-Alami cited Saudi Arabia as an example of a national vision built on innovation and growth. 'The vision of Saudi is all about innovation, growth and standing out, and you can't achieve that without the right culture. It's a must.' Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the launch, Nada Hakeem, CEO and co-founder of Wetheloft, said that hiring trends in the creative sector had shifted, particularly among younger professionals. 'Today, most of the talent is from Generation Z. They are not just looking for a job, but for purpose as well,' Hakeem told Arab News. This generational shift had pushed companies to rethink traditional job structures. 'This has made it necessary for companies to have something bigger than just the tasks employees are doing,' she said. Hakeem added that women were increasingly seen as valuable contributors in the creative sector, with companies actively seeking to hire more female talent. 'Women in Saudi Arabia are not just getting opportunities, but we feel a little bit more privileged, and companies are actually actively seeking more women in Saudi.' She said that empathy played a key role in the creative field, particularly in marketing and communication. 'I think women are more empathetic by nature, and empathy in the creative industry is essential. When you understand the needs of others, you can cater to them better. And this is what marketing and communication is all about — understanding the needs and the wants and the problems, and solving problems for others.'
