DHA Acting Manager, Governance and Legislative Compliance, Amy Cuddihy knows all too well the struggle that some women face trying to find a balance between cementing a place in the workforce and raising a family.
Amy started with DHA in 2011 as a Sale and Leaseback Coordinator in Adelaide. Shortly after settling into this role, husband and radio personality, Rod Cuddihy won a dream job with Canberra FM which saw the couple move to Canberra. A qualified lawyer, Amy continued her career with DHA in Canberra as a Business and Legal Support Officer before becoming a mum to Connor in 2013.
It was while on maternity leave that Amy decided to channel her energy into starting her own business in the beauty, health and wellness industry, as an Executive District Manager with Arbonne International.
Amy returned to work part time at DHA in 2014, before giving birth to second daughter Indiana in 2016. Amy and Rod both currently work fulltime hours juggling work commitments and parenthood together.
Amy acknowledges Rod’s support and encouragement of her business aspirations, allowing her flexibility to travel (interstate and internationally) to build her business.
‘I started my Arbonne business in 2013 which requires me to have some evenings and weekends free for networking and be available to travel for conferences,’ Amy said. ‘Rod starts work late and finishes early to accommodate these trips and he schedules his workday so that he is available to care for both of our girls.’
Amy and Rod rely on their flexible working arrangements to share school drop-offs, pick-ups and attend school events.
‘The flexibility of working part-time when returning to work from maternity leave ensured that I was able to continue my career with DHA and progress each time I returned.
‘If either of the girls are sick, Rod rearranges his work schedule so that he can work from home. I rarely have to take a carer’s leave day or we share these if there are consecutive sick days,’ she said.
International Women’s Day is recognised and celebrated annually around the globe on March 8 to commemorate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women—throughout history and across borders.
The theme for 2019 is ‘Balance for Better’.
This recognises that gender equality isn’t a women’s issue—it’s a business issue—and everyone has a part to play to build a gender-balanced world.
DHA launched a gender equality strategy in 2016 and has taken active steps in recent years to address gender balance within our organisation. In celebrations across the nation, DHA staff voiced their commitment to gender parity, supported by the Senior Executive Group made the commitment to work to accelerate progress towards pay equity at DHA.