‘New school thinking’: First-of-its-kind directory shines spotlight on Aussie women speakers

A Melbourne-based serial entrepreneur, business owner and PR expert who has created a first-of-its-kind Australian women’s speaker network is calling for female speakers in search of speaking opportunities and engagements to sign up for the new directory.

Jules Brooke, who is the founder of the membership group ‘She’s The Boss Group’ for female founders and women running businesses, is aiming to increase the number of women speakers across Australia as well as increase the visibility and accessibility of women speakers through her speaker’s network idea.

Currently, 67 women speakers have been listed on the Australian Women Speakers (AWS) website, with Brooke hoping to have 1000 speakers listed by the end of the year.

As of June, the Australian Women Speakers LinkedIn group has 930 members, while the Facebook group has approximately 1000 members.

Brooke said she discovered that only 30% of speakers at business events in Australia were women in late 2023 and that they were incredibly hard to find, especially if they weren’t professional speakers or listed with a speaker bureau, after looking for places to list herself as a female speaker.

Now Brooke is focusing on getting the word out about the directory to ensure women speakers are easier to find, making...