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Global Sisters Milestones
JUL’23
Systems Change demonstration project – Solo Mums – launched with AMP Foundation, OSII NSW & Paul Ramsay Foundation.
AUG’23
Visa She’s Next Sister Pitch & Industry Runway (Beauty & Personal Care) with MECCA.
SEPT’23
EBay Marketplace readiness program for Sisters.
OCT’23
Finance Pathways partnership Imalia insurance for Sisters.
NOV’23
Best Global Sisters Marketplace sales month of all time & TAFE NSW webinar.
NOV’23
GRIT Sisters MECCA experience @ MECCA Flagship.
NOV’23
Launch GRIT, a book of future changing conversations around women’s economic security.
DEC’23
Milestone 6000 women supported nationally!
FEB’24
Global Sisters app testing.
MAR’24
International Women’s Day Event for 30 women at Tarrengower Women’s Prison (VIC) emphasizing the need for inclusive economic opportunities for women after incarceration.
MAR’24
Global Sisters’ new APP is live, with more ways to stay connected and access resources flexibly.
MAR’24
International Women’s Day campaign and events around the country.
APR’24
Mental Health in Business Panel with Business Owners Nadine Cohen, Revie Jane and Kasey Rainbow.
MAY’24
Female Founder series with Kate Heppel from Kip & Co.
MAY’24
Coaching Circle Social Media Academy with over 130 Sisters attending the sessions over 8 weeks.
JUN’24
Solo Mums Photoshoot in Melbourne at MECCA HQ.
Sisters Milestones
angie poller, remedii
Angie has collaborated with MECCA M-POWER on a special MECCA-coloured range of REMEDII products to be shared with team members, a deal that was worth $10,000.
CYANA DUONG, CAMIE FLEUR
Cyana secured a job from Myer to set up photo booths for Mother’s Day (“Mom Lounges”) across multiple locations in Sydney and Melbourne.
KAREN VILLARD, CUBO TOYS
Karen has landed some of her products at Toys R Us USA Marketplace, a huge milestone for her international expansion plans.
IRA PUSPITA, KAYU & CO
Ira has received a follow-up order from the Beechworth Honey Group, after producing 5000 custom designed honey dippers for the iconic Australian brand in 2021.
allies bol, frika activewear
Allies won $10,000 by securing the first place with her Pitch at the VISA She’s Next Grant Program 2023.
NEETHA LAKSHMAN, HEALTH AND SPICE
Neetha received the Innovation Booster Grant worth $40,000 from the WA government to launch her business.
1677
Sisters engaged with Global Sisters
923
New Sisters
426
New businesses launched
who are Our sisters?
Sisters are the women who are part of the Global Sisters community. Often unemployed, underemployed or low-income due to systemic and structural barriers, they come to Global Sisters seeking to participate in economy and become financially independent through self-employment in micro business.
They are brilliant, resilient, intelligent, and socially conscious women with a vision to not only build their businesses, but create a greater societal impact.
They are Solo Mums, Older Women, First Nations Women, Migrants & Refugees, women with disabilities and those living in regional/ remote areas. When women are given the confidence, skills, connections, and support they often miss out on, there is no stopping them. They start and grow businesses, lift up communities, and make the economy a more equal, inclusive place.
In 2023-2024, Global Sisters reached the milestone of over 6000 women being supported across Australia. As of 2024,
6570
Sisters have participated in Global Sisters since its inception.
1681
Sisters around Australia participated in Global Sisters programs in 2023-2024
923
Sisters joined Global Sisters for the first time in 2023-2024
NEW SISTERS FY 23-24
Global Sisters targets women who are unemployed, underemployed and/ or low income – with a strategic focus on solo mums and women over 50. Sisters experience intersecting structural and systemic barriers, which are reflected in the demographic below.
49
Low income
35
Migrant, refugee
16
Disability or carer
20
Regional, remote
29
Experience of DFV
1
Aboriginal or TSI
38
Solo mum
21
Over 50 years
1
Previously incarcerated
Note: Women can be part of multiple target demographics and therefore it does not add to 100%
where are our NEW SISTERS?
The Sisters are located all across Australia, in every single State and Territory.
In 2023, 16% of all the Sisters were living in regional or remote communities, facing additional challenges when it comes to access to connections and support networks, to training programs, capital and profitable markets.
426
of the 926 new businesses are at Launch stage or beyond, indicating they have started to generate an income or growing that income as their vehicle for financial independence
micro business types/self-employment industries:
- Grooming & Pet Services
- Cleaning Services
- Health & Wellness Products & Services
- Consulting and Professional Services
- Homewares
- Fashion & Textiles
- Digital Production & Creative Services
- Counselling, Personal Coaching & Therapy
- Education & Language
- Childcare
- NDIS & Disability Support Services
- Technology
New Portal for Sister’s Journey
In March 2024, Global Sisters launched a brand new Sister Portal, to support Sisters moving forward in their business journey, via an improved and optimised learning experience for all.
Sisters can personalise their learning journey, discover Global Sisters programs and events effortlessly and connect with fellow Sisters in an enhanced online learning space. They can access continuous resources to keep learning and connecting with the community.
impact summary
This year we are focusing on the first three milestones of our Impact Roadmap: Women’s Economic Participation, Women’s Self-Employment and Women’s Financial Independence. Global Sisters’ purpose is to remove barriers to women’s economic security, and we do that through direct impact (self-employment programs and support) and integrated systems change interventions. In 2023 we overhauled our impact measurement system to collect the most important change data over time. As our longitudinal data builds over several years, we will be able to start reporting on all six of the milestones leading to women’s economic security. Through the 2023 report, we are pleased to share early-stage results and analyses and bring them to life with qualitative Sister case studies.
women’s economic security roadmap
women’s economic participation
Main Findings
Global Sisters has collected primary evidence of barriers within the welfare system that discourage or even prevent self-employment. This has informed the development of our system’s change agenda to reform welfare policies so they support rather than inhibit women from starting businesses and becoming self-employed.
Global Sisters empowers women to overcome significant barriers to economic participation and self-employment by increasing their agency and choice in how they will generate their own income and be employed. By providing business knowledge, skills, and access to business opportunities and networks, self-employment becomes a genuine option for women.
97%
of Sisters indicated that My Big Idea program helped them decide on how they would generate an income.
84%
increased their confidence to choose between employment, self-employment or a mix of both.
women’s self-employment
Main Findings
Global Sisters enables women to grow their businesses, resulting in increased income and financial resilience. By providing the “roadmap” of support, including the new Financial Pathways programs, women are launching businesses and increasing their income.
46%
of the new businesses Global Sisters supported (426 of the 926 new businesses) reached Launch stage or beyond, indicating they have started to generate an income or growing that income as their vehicle for financial independence.
76%
of Sisters reported they are confident or very confident in their business acumen/entrepreneurial skills.
67%
moved forward in their stage of business after completing Sister School program.
women’s financial independence
Main Findings
Global Sisters supports women to grow their business income and reduce reliance on government income support. A new baseline was established in April 2024 to track change over time and we look forward to reporting on this next annual impact report.
At the same time, Global Sisters is working to elevate micro business as a genuine alternative to being employed in “a job” and creating a supportive policy and investment environment for diverse women-led micro businesses in Australia.
39
Sisters, that are new to Marketplace, are at Start-up stage or above and already reporting revenue/income.
164
Sisters who participated in coaching programs are reporting revenue/income.
women’s economic participation
the barriers
According to the International Trade Organisation, women around the world face significant challenges in labour force participation, with a persistent gender gap of 25%, with some countries reaching 50%.
Moreso, globally, women are less likely to start businesses and encounter more disadvantages when attempting to. Research indicates that women often have lower levels of optimism and self-confidence compared to men, coupled with a higher fear of failure, all of which contribute to the reluctance to pursue entrepreneurship.
In Australia, and following the global trend, the most common barriers identified by women who joined Global Sisters were:
lack of self confidence
fear of failure
Limited business know-how
Insufficient business finance (funding) accessibility
Lack of support from peers and community
isolation
Source: 2023 Annual Impact Survey
Upon joining Global Sisters, many women express feelings of self-doubt and isolation, compounded by complex personal situations such as solo motherhood, disabilities or lived-experience of domestic violence, often stemming from vulnerable socioeconomic backgrounds.
“Even when I didn’t ask for help, Global Sisters would try and find ways to get my business and my branding known. So that was really helpful and it played a big role in my business (…) like the pitch that they offered, the connection as well, (…) Global Sisters played a big part in my business, getting me where I am today because through them I found the right connections.”
breaking down barriers
Global Sisters plays a crucial role in breaking these barriers by providing tailored programs and workshops that address the specific needs of women entrepreneurs, granting them access to relevant training and networking opportunities that are relevant and aligned with their passions and skills. By connecting them with peers and mentors who understand their challenges and aspirations, Global Sisters empowers women to overcome self-doubt and consider self-employment as a viable option.
With My Big Idea, Sisters find or refine the idea they want to turn into a business, going from concept to reality.
571
Women participated in My Big Idea program in 2023-24
For most of the Sisters, it was the first time they began to believe that becoming a business owner was possible. My Big Idea gives the Sisters a starting point and a supportive community, allowing them to start organising their thoughts to move forward.
the impact
97
indicated that My Big Idea helped them decide on how they would generate an income.
84
increased their confidence to choose between employment, self-employment or a mix of both.
96
For the ones that decided to pursue self-employment, 96% believe My Big Idea helped them develop their business idea.
case study
meet fiona
Solo mum | First Nations – Biripi Woman | Regional Community | Business Owner
Read Fiona's Story
women’s self-employment
A recent report by LaunchVic highlighting the different sectors of startups, noted that women are more likely to start traditionally low-growth businesses, compared with the high-growth startups men tend to pursue.
ABS data from the 2011 census supports this, showing that when women do start businesses, they tend to avoid high-growth industries like financial services and technology, instead focusing on smaller enterprises such as health and social assistance, retail, and professional services like accounting.
Moreover, women face significant challenges in accessing capital to start and scale their businesses. They have less personal capital to invest, which hampers the growth of their ventures. Research indicates that investors exhibit unconscious biases favouring male entrepreneurs, especially the attractive ones, even when the content of entrepreneurial pitches is the same. Firms with a woman founder have a significantly smaller median firm capital raise, indicating that most of these firms raise less than those without women founders.
In Australia, these are the barriers the Sisters have identified that are preventing them from starting to generate/increase their income with their business:
Marketing
Customer Acquisition
Sourcing Finance/ Working Capital
Competition in the market
Technology and IT
revenue
Sister School helps women “get launch ready”, moving from an idea to setting up the foundations of their business and developing their business canvas.
435
Sisters participated in Sister School in 2023-24
This represents their deep dive into everything in the business world – an intense, emotional and challenging journey that culminates in the Pitch event, an opportunity for the Sisters to stand tall as business owners for the first time and present their business in a professional setting.
the impact
96
reported improvement in confidence and connections/networks.
76
reported they are confident or very confident in their business acumen/ entrepreneurial skills after Sister School and 58% felt equipped or very equipped to start their business.
96
reported that their employment/ self-employment decision-making improved.
67
reported they moved forward in their stage of business and the remainder stayed at the same stage of business. Longitudinal data indicates that after Sister School it takes between 3-12 months for women to start generating an income (LAUNCH or START-UP phase).
case study
meet melissa
First Nations Woman | From a Regional Community | Business Owner
Read Melissa's Story
Women’s Financial Independence
Projections of global poverty by UN Women and UNDP have estimated that, globally, 388 million women and girls would be living in extreme poverty in 2022 (compared to 372 million men and boys) – making women and girls are more likely than men to live in poverty (12.5% versus 12.1%).
In Australia, in line with global trends, women are more likely to live in households below the poverty line than men (14.1% for women and 13.1% for men, using the 50% median income poverty line) according to data from the ABS.
At Global Sisters, there’s a significant reliance on Government Income Support among Sisters (37%), a number that surpasses the national average (24%) and that reflects the diversity of socioeconomic contexts in which the Sisters live in. Sisters have higher rates of reliance on various forms of support such as Family Tax Benefit, Job Seeker, Disability Support Pension, and Carer Payment compared to national averages. Overall, the data emphasises the diverse economic situations within the Global Sisters community and the organisation’s impact on financial resilience with a diverse cohort that is often isolated from the typical entrepreneurial circles such as women over 55, solo mums, people with disabilities, women from regional or remote regions or First Nations.
46
of the New Sisters in 2023-2024 are on Government Income support
51
are on Parenting Payment Single
Through First 10 Customers women refine their products/services, test their market fits, define pricing and business model and make their first sales.
29
Women participated in First 10 Customers in 2023-24
An opportunity to have access to a professional business coach can change the trajectory of a Sister’s business journey. The Sisters have, for the first time, access to someone that believes in them, supports them in setting reasonable goals, and keeps them accountable and fosters a sense of self-reliance and motivation to continue working towards success.
the impact
39
Sisters, that are new to Marketplace, are at Start-up stage or above, already reporting revenue/income.
164
Sisters that participated in coaching programs are reporting revenue/income.
58
could find $500 within a week to meet an unexpected expense vs 41% in the beginning.
23
could not meet any unexpected expense vs 36% in the beginning.
source analysis & methodology
Social impact measurement enables us to understand and showcase the tangible transformations our programs and services have in the lives of the women we serve – our Sisters. It allows us to systematically track and assess how our initiatives empower them to achieve financial resilience and social inclusion, by dismantling the barriers that hinder their economic participation and security.
Our impact framework includes:
Longitudinal Survey
A Quarterly Impact Survey that Sisters respond to four times per year. It consists of 10 questions – the most critical questions that intend to measure Global Sisters’ direct impact across our 6 direct impact domains: business acumen, enterprise development, financial resilience, influence and community/ connection. We’ve chosen a longitudinal approach because it allows Global Sisters to track change over time, assess long-term impact, establish cause-and-effect relationships and oversee Sister’s individual development over time.
Rapid Program Evaluations
Post-program surveys collect data on all Global Sisters programs. There is a bespoke survey for each of the foundational business education and coaching programs (My Big Idea, Sister School and First 10 Customers) plus a general survey for all the other programs and events (including all workshops and rapid evaluations for point-in-time programs).
Sister Chats
We have semi-structured interviews or Sister Chats via interviews or focus group discussions. These are a unique strategy to elicit stories and feelings about specific experiences that help uncover the Sisters’ needs and change over time.
Impact Measurement System
Impact data is collected (and securely stored) via registration, onboarding, program participation and our app (Sister Portal) and analysed using in-built statistical software in our CRM, HubSpot. Additionally, qualitative analysis techniques to derive insights and trends and assess whether the implemented activities lead to the intended outcomes.
Feedback loops & continual improvement
We have established feedback mechanisms, with quarterly monitoring reports that include a follow-up plan for actionable feedback items. We identify trends and patterns via our longitudinal evaluation approach and use the results to share not only with our partners but also with the broader sector. Global Sisters has implemented regular team meetings guided by reflective team practices and data-driven discussions. Based on the data analysis and team discussions, we’re developing Action Plans to address identified gaps and enhance programs/ interventions, always making sure we’re prepared to make real-time adjustments that might involve changes in the allocation of resources or the activities and strategies in place. This iterative process ensures adaptive management and continuous improvement.
Ultimately the purpose of our impact measurement is to share progress with Sisters, celebrate their wins and elevate women’s micro business across Australia. We are setting the foundations now for Sister data ownership in our app so they can own and live track their progress.
Read more at impact.globalsisters.org
impact for this report
We collected baseline data during the onboarding process and collected longitudinal data as Sisters advanced through the Global Sisters Roadmap, using the outlined framework and process above. We’ve added further project-specific data collection where and when needed. With the launch of Global Sisters’ new online platform in March 2024, which provides easy access to all the resources, programs and connections available, we’ve adjusted our data collection methods to better align with the Sisters’ new user experience.
In order to understand where the Sisters are in their business journey upon joining Global Sisters, the ones who’ve joined Solo Mums before March 2024 have completed a Baseline Survey in 2023, a tool that was discontinued following the new portal rollout. Those onboarding in 2024 have completed the Longitudinal Impact Q2 2024 Survey, marking the beginning of our quarterly survey series, as outlined in the section above.
Accordingly, progress in the Sister’s journey has been recorded utilising different sources to access change both before and after the new online platform. Participants who joined before March 2024 completed the Ongoing Impact Survey 2023 while those who joined after, have been responding to the Longitudinal Impact Survey, this time the Q3 in 2024 (Q4 will be distributed in October this year).
To track milestones and outcomes, Sisters were directly contacted via email and phone to provide documentation, which is then stored in their records within our CRM platform. The required documents include:
Proof of launch/first sale invoice
Proof of revenue over
3700
over the past 26 weeks
P&L statement; Hnry Report in progress
Proof of net profit over
7400
over the past 26 weeks
P&L statement; Hnry Report in progress
To ensure that valuable information shared informally — whether through online chats, phone calls, or in-person events like photoshoots — does not go unnoticed, we have implemented a new process to systematically capture and store this data in HubSpot. We understand that Sisters often share significant insights about their achievements and progress toward economic security during these casual interactions. Our team is committed to recording all relevant information in the Sisters’ CRM records promptly and accurately. Additionally, we respect Sisters’ privacy by creating a dedicated and restricted field for sensitive information, not openly accessible to all team members, ensuring that confidential details are handled with discretion while still being effectively integrated into our overall data management system.
It has been challenging to undergo such a significant digital experience restructuring at the start of the program. However, we are confident that this process is not only deeply improving Sister’s experience within Global Sisters as well as constantly being optimised to streamline data collection, analysis, and communication. We are continually seeking and implementing new methods to improve the accuracy and reliability of our data. By refining our processes and embracing new technologies, we ensure that our impact assessments are as precise and meaningful as possible.