production

THE Australian wine community now has a Diversity and Equality In Wine Charter which all grape and wine producers are being encouraged to sign on to.
The aim of the charter is to create an inclusive industry where all participants can contribute to their full potential and receive equal pay for equal work. At present, women working in the Australian wine industry are among the most disadvantaged. “We know we have around 50-50 representation of female/male graduates from university courses in winemaking and viticulture,” said Tony Battaglene, chief executive of the newly-formed Australian Grape and Wine Inc, an amalgamation of the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia and Australian Vignerons.
“But there are approximately only 10 per cent of females in leadership roles within the sector, so we have a bit of work to create balance in this space. “Balance is not a women’s issue, it’s a business issue. “We believe that all participants across the entire value chain should adopt the principles in the charter because it is the right thing to do and, on top of that, it makes good business sense.”
For further information on the charter and how to become a signatory visit www.wfa.org.au.