Women's workplace safety initiatives rewarded

SafeWork SA used International Women’s Day to launch its new initiative designed to improve women’s health and safety at work.

The Augusta Zadow Awards offer a share in $20,000 to fund the development of initiatives that will improve health and safety outcomes for female workers.

Augusta Zadow was a groundbreaking advocate for improved working conditions for South Australian women.

She was also a founding member of the Working Women’s Trades Union in 1890, fought for women’s suffrage and was appointed the first female inspector of factories in 1895.

“Augusta Zadow worked tirelessly at a time of great industrial change to secure better working conditions and pay for women and young children in South Australia,” said SafeWork SA Acting Executive Director Dini Soulio.

“Many of the basic rights at work that we take for granted today came about because of the work of Augusta and other women like her.

“The awards build on her achievements by funding continuing improvements to the health and safety of women at work.”

Previous award recipients have worked with vulnerable female migrant workers to promote mental health and wellbeing, raised awareness of the potential impact of workplace chemicals on fertility and pregnancy, and established safety groups for women on farms.

The awards were launched by South Australian Senator Penny Wong, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, at the International Women’s Day Breakfast.

Applications close on Friday, 23 June 2017. More information is available at the SafeWork SA website: www.safework.sa.gov.au/aza.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/eric