Western Sydney Women founder Amanda Rose is passionate about enabling women in the workplace so they may remain financially independent for the long-term.
She is also keen to ring the alarm bell when it comes to ageism, something she says is a major obstacle.
The Employing Older Workers report released by the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2018 found that 68 per cent of employers surveyed admitted to being reluctant to hire workers aged over 50.
"I just don't understand - beyond it being discriminatory to overlook someone due to their age, it is also just downright a bad business decision," Ms Rose said.
"There is a plethora or women out there, ready and eager to be employed, full of knowledge, intellect and resilience and they are overlooked due to a number which only indicates when they were born, not what they are capable of. It baffles me."
Western Sydney Women host a free program titled WISE, aimed at educating and equipping women from around the region aged 50 and over on how to better their chances in what Ms Rose says appears to be an ageist world.
Ms Rose's group points out that ageism is another hurt for women in the workplace, who still face gender pay disparity and a lower superannuation balance.
"We are also living longer than ever, meaning that there is a real need for our finances to last the distance," she said.
According to Western Sydney Women, older women in greater Western Sydney make up a large proportion of those likely to experience homelessness or financial insecurity.
They also attest that 25 per cent of single mothers are over the age of 50 and that there are 5000 women in the regio who care for their grandchildren on a full-time basis.
Ms Rose said that all too often female job seekers aged 50 and over are met with common responses from those hiring - "you are over qualified", "you aren't the fit we are looking for" and "we are looking for someone to grow the position".
"Often these rejections are thinly veiled and in reality are a not so discreet way of being told 'you are too old'," Ms Rose said.
"Programs such as WISE are invaluable in making sure women over 50 in Western Sydney are not just equipped with the tools they need, but are confident in their ability and ultimately their employability.
"It is a collaborative effort though - businesses need to see the strategic benefit of having these women who are at their peak on their terms and help break down the sometimes not so silent barriers to hiring based on age."
Western Sydney Women's next free WISE course is set to start on September 1. Expressions of interested are open until July 30.
WISE sessions will be run via a private online group, with weekly workgroups and mentoring sessions hosted by experts from a range of industries.
The focus will be on helping participants become money smart, gain confidence and get prepared for employment.
For more details and to register interest, visit westernsydneywomen.com.au/wise
