Australia’s Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM) has launched Eliza’s Project, an initiative to champion women’s leadership at the highest levels of the movement.
The network, which brings together current and former women chief executives from co-ops and mutuals is named for Eliza Brierley, “an inspirational pioneer in the co-operative movement who embodies the ideals of parity and inclusion”.
In 1846, Brierley paid her £1 membership fee to join the Rochdale Pioneers – and, says BCCM, “brought about a true revolution – women having their own money and vote in a democratic organisation, more than 50 years before women even gained the right to vote or to join trade unions”.
Eliza’s Project draws on the findings of the BCCM’s 2017 report, Eliza’s Project: Gender Inclusion in the CME Sector in Australia. This research found that women in the co-operative and mutual sector are significantly under-represented in executive and leadership positions.
Related: How are co-ops of the Asia-Pacific accelerating gender equality?
“While this is a similar pattern seen in other sectors,” said BCCM, “the co-operative and mutual sector has a history of empowering women, and organisations in this sector are founded on principles that promote democracy and inclusion. There is a unique role for the sector to show leadership on this issue. Moreover, there is a strong business case for inclusion and equality.”
“Eliza’s Project honours the pioneering women who have helped shape the co-operative and mutual movement and creates a platform to champion gender equality at the highest levels,” said BCCM CEO Melina Morrison.
“By celebrating the contribution of women chief executives and supporting their advancement, we strengthen our movement and the values that define it. It is our objective through this initiative to advocate for and support the work of the ICA Gender Committee and other vital gender inclusion initiatives.”
Pictured: back row from left: Cathy Main, CEO, Barossa Co-op; Lorraine Thomas, CEO & managing director, HCF; Fiona Herman, chair, Common Equity Housing Ltd (CEHL); Liz Thomas, managing director, CEHL; Alison Holloway, principal and partner, SGS Economics & Planning; Michelle Bagnall, CEO, Bank First; Elizabeth Crouch, chair, Customer Owned Banking Association; Liz O’Connell, CEO, Kudos Services. Front: Saya Wahrlich, CEO, Cooperative Business New Zealand; Sheena Jack, former CEO, HCF; Shirine Khoury-Haq, CEO, the Co-operative Group, UK; Melina Morrison, CEO, BCCM; Samantha Martin-Williams, chair, NGM Group, at the Eliza’s Project launch at the 2025 BCCM Leaders’ Summit in Adelaide
