At Kip&Co, we’re all about celebrating the bold, the creative, and the women who inspire us every day. This International Women's Day, we caught up with Global Sisters’ founder, Mandy, to chat about what drives her passion for empowering women, the power of community, and the exciting new opportunities unfolding for women in business.
Plus, on this day- we’re excited to announce the next round of our partnership with Global Sisters after the incredible success of the first round. Read on to find out how together, we’re launching the second round of our free business accelerator coaching program designed specifically for the Global Sisters community!
What ignited your passion for helping women?
My passion for supporting women comes from two key experiences. Growing up in Indonesia and traveling the world, I saw how often women are financially excluded due to factors beyond their control. On a more personal level, being raised by a single mother showed me the unique challenges women face—struggles that men rarely encounter. With a strong interest in human rights and my own experience as a woman, I felt compelled to take action.
Global Sisters has been at the forefront of supporting women entrepreneurs. In your view, what urgent steps need to be taken by communities and organisations worldwide to accelerate the pace of empowering women in business?
Global Sisters has identified the key barriers to women’s success in business as confidence, business acumen, networks, and long-term support. Most women start businesses at a micro level, often while juggling jobs, childcare, or elder care. Yet, early-stage support—especially in Australia—is lacking. Flexibility and accessibility are crucial, and our model is designed to address these challenges. By replicating it widely, we can make business support and community access the norm, accelerating women's growth and visibility in business.
As a female business and human rights leader working to support women globally, what are some of the challenges and opportunities that you see currently both socially and economically?
Our focus is on Australian women rather than women globally. But across the board, women start on the back foot due to a range of factors, not just one or two. A big part of the problem is treating women as one big group. While many barriers intersect, some are unique to specific groups or individuals.
It’s why we put together GRIT, a collection of twenty-three stories of women from our Global Sisters community. Their stories show courage and fortitude despite the barriers or hardships they face. It also sheds light on the gender inequalities and barriers they face to economic participation affecting so many women and their families.
In Australia, the gender pay gap and childcare challenges get a lot of attention. While the pay gap is important, many of our Sisters struggle to find jobs that fit their circumstances in the first place, so it’s not their biggest concern. If we want to help women achieve economic security, we need solutions tailored to their realities.
We all have opportunities to help resolve some of the issues that hold women back. Women may have gained social independence, but they’re still expected to juggle full-time (or nearly full-time) work while shouldering most of the childcare responsibilities. Meanwhile, not much has changed for men. Childcare reform is part of the solution, but it’s far from a fix for all women.
Gender equality is one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and while it’s a critical global issue, we’re nowhere near achieving it.
Who are your top 3 female role models and why?
The women we support at Global Sisters inspire me every day. Their resilience despite adversity is incredible—they keep going in the face of challenges and disappointments. The women with the least, who work tirelessly, often for their children, are the ones who inspire me most.
Throughout your journey with Global Sisters, what has been the most empowering lesson you've learned about the strength of women supporting one another?
Over the years and after supporting over 7,000 women, one thing stands out above all: community. Back Her Brilliance—our tagline says it all. Women have to support each other, and they truly do.
The way our Sisters rally around each other’s wins and losses is powerful—it’s the magic of Global Sisters. Women have always gathered in circles, sharing stories around fires. This is our modern version. In a world that’s becoming more disconnected and pressured, the support of other women is what keeps us moving forward.
What are some actionable steps and key learnings you can share with change-makers looking to grow their impact?
You need a clear vision of what you want to achieve and the impact you want to have. You need to have the attitude that challenges will come, but there’s always a solution—you just have to find it. I’ve never let setbacks stop or even worry me; I just focus on uncovering the opportunity within them.
If you want to create lasting impact, you have to truly believe in what you're doing. Doing it for publicity or personal gain might work in the short term, but real longevity comes from being 100% invested in your mission.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
Honestly, I wish it led to more action—it often feels symbolic. It does shine a light on women's needs globally which can spark small ripples of change, and that’s a good thing, but real impact comes from action. Big companies have such power and visibility, it would be great to see them actively driving change.
We’re so excited to take the opportunity this International Women’s Day to share that we’re launching our second mentorship program with Global Sisters! What’s one piece of advice you would give to the women applying for mentorship to help them make the most of this incredible opportunity?
Maybe it’s just my learning style, but I believe the best way to learn is from those who’ve been there and done it, to learn through their real-life examples. Getting to spend time with successful, experienced people is an absolute gift, an incredible opportunity to learn. I’d ask as many questions as possible and study their business closely, soaking up everything I could.
Together Kip&Co and Global Sisters are launching the second round of our free business accelerator coaching program designed specifically for the Global Sisters community! After receiving rave reviews from our previous participants, we’re excited to bring this opportunity back for 2025. This 3-month program is customised to your business and includes the incredible chance to share your business with the Kip&Co world! Four lucky applicants will be selected.
Applications close 20th of March 2025! Apply now here!
