Gals en Australia: Two years after
When one first listens to Clau speaking, something very powerful takes over you. It feels as if time suddenly stopped and every person in the room is filled with genuine interest to pay attention to the words that will come out of her mouth. She is an environmentally conscious engineer with a passion for reading and writing, but, most of all, with the conviction to fight for what she believes in and make a positive difference in the world around her.
When you talk to Ale, the first thing that you feel is trust. It’s not easy to put it into words, but she is an incredibly approachable person that radiates wisdom in a very welcoming way. With a background in finance, sales and marketing, Ale is an incredibly versatile, resilient and strategic person that won’t hesitate to support and listen to others. Her curiosity and will to keep learning and help others thrive has only gotten stronger with time and fills her with excitement about the future.
Ale and Clau found each other a couple of years ago. When they met, they found out that both wanted to connect with other women in the Hispanic community, to take root in Australia and share their personal experience and knowledge about their search for professional job. This is how Gals en Australia was born.
Two years after, after many lessons learned, Gals en Australia has become a reference and shelter for 6,500+ Hispanic women in Australia. This group is a safe space to reach out for help, advice and to share general information regarding personal and professional development, wellbeing and financial independence, amongst others. All of this is firmly aimed to empower women, to overcome fears and insecurities that get in the way of achieving their dreams and to accompany them in their process of integration and growth in a new country.
Ale and Clau are now extremely aware of the power and transcendence of the group in the community. They have tangible proof of the positive impact they’ve had in the lives of many Gals thanks to over 70 events they’ve organised and the launch of the Mentoring Program, “Gals Tribe”. This program has been continuously enriched by both of them in order to help women get their first professional job, improve their chances of switching careers, negotiating a better salary, strengthen their confidence and connect with real job openings. This is one of the projects that make Ale and Clau most proud of, since it’s directly creating more opportunities for the Gals and fulfilling one of the main pillars of the group: professional growth, progress, and development.
Gals en Australia is now a legally registered community, growing and thriving as the Gals that belong to it. It has now employed 3 members of the community as Graphic Designer, Videographer and Digital Content Creator. This is a milestone in the life of the group because it directly helps women from the community and reinvests resources in the group itself.
Let’s celebrate 2 years of this fantastic initiative that has now materialized so many dreams and hopes.
For more empowered Gals in Australia!
For many more years for Gals en Australia!
-Silvia Rojas, Digital Content Creator for Gals en Australia
