Celebrating International Women’s Day 2025: #AccelerateAction for all women+ and girls!

Rebecca Banks – CEO

I am delighted to support the promotion of International Women’s Day 2025 at PRC. If I look back, my career has been full of starts and stops. I’ve been successful in obtaining new roles and promotions and have been unsuccessful plenty of times. I worked part-time for 10 years whilst my children were young and supported a husband who travelled frequently. It was difficult at times, but I’m glad I kept going.

The support of colleagues, mentors and managers has been invaluable. I have been fortunate to receive the support of both male and female sponsors. They have pushed me, held me to account and spoken up for me. Their advocacy has taken my career in a very different direction, than without them.

I have always been passionate about creating a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, where we value and celebrate difference. For my own small part, I was the Manager for Women in Leadership at a previous employer and have personally mentored over 10 men and women through various programs. I am currently part of an external mentoring program through Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand where I mentor a young accountant at Department of Health (who is teaching me about work/life balance, something I’m not very good at).

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on all that we do to be more inclusive, and I’m proud to advocate for the talented men and women at PRC.

I’m proud that PRC offers industry-leading paid parental leave for both men and women, purchased leave and flexible working opportunities.

I’m proud that we have a gender-balanced executive team, and good representation of genders in our management ranks.

I’m also proud when I see the Ally stickers on our badges showing our support for and welcome of the LGBTQI+ community, and our training that helps us better understand the challenges faced.

I have been asked how we ensure that our team members with disability are able to have the same opportunities to thrive in their roles at PRC. We have a very inclusive culture here at PRC and build in several mechanisms in our onboarding process and how we support our teams day-to-day to ensure that everyone is set up to succeed and can bring their authentic selves to work.

There is more to be done, and I am committed to continuing to work with the PRC team to value and celebrate our differences.

• Periodic gender equality and pay parity analysis and reporting to drive future action plans,
• Access to Family and Domestic Violence (FDV) leave,
• Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP),
• Our ongoing partnerships with Starick and Foodbank (giving back is a gift!).
• Our purchased leave program designed to provide more opportunities for flexibility, rest and / or recreation, and the management of family responsibilities,
• Industry-leading employer-funded paid parental leave offering for both parents regardless of ‘primary carer’ status,
• Various training initiatives aimed at further promoting a more inclusive workplace, including the PRC Leadership Academy, Respect@Work training, and other webinar training initiatives focused on LGBTIQ+ awareness and FDV.

Our People in Action

A business is only as good as its people, and we just so happen to have some of the best!

Not only do many of our staff lead from the front in their respective fields, but a good number also act as mentors, coaches, advocates, sponsors, experts, examples, critics / challengers and cheerleaders for the women+, girls and allies in their lives.

Dr Nadee Senaratna – Radiologist

Moving to Australia in 2017 with my family, just after completing radiology training in Sri Lanka, was a decisive step in my professional as well my personal life.

My journey from a radiology fellow to a radiologist specialising in breast imaging (filled with many challenges and setbacks) would not have been possible if it weren’t for the support, guidance and encouragement I received from my family, friends, peers, supervisors and senior radiologists back home as well as in Australia in spite of differences in position, gender and cultural diversity.

People around me has always helped me in various ways; from minor day-to-day things to finding the best opportunities for me to progress in my career, and I take comfort in the fact that they will continue to encourage me and guide me to reach new heights in my career.

“I feel privileged to be a part of such a community and try to motivate and guide others to the best of my ability, like my peers did to me, so they can realise their potential as well.”

Kylie Sheldrick – Technical Operations Manager (North)

Kylie has been with PRC for over 22 years, and in her current role for just over 7.

Over her time, she has taken many of our up-and-coming female staff under her wing, coaching and supporting them to reach their full potential.

Amy Patterson (Sonographer) shares her experience of working as part of Kylie’s team.

Kylie Sheldrick was my technical supervisor whilst I was an X-Ray Assistant at Nollamara. I started at the age of 17, unsure which pathway in healthcare I wanted to take.

Kylie offered guidance, patience and leadership to not only me, but to all staff under her supervision. She led by example and created a working environment of professionalism, camaraderie and support.

I ultimately decided to study Sonography and have been qualified for over 3 years now; I will always be grateful to Kylie for helping me.

Many thanks to Lisa Vaz for drawing this to our attention. In her words, Kylie “is a total asset to PRC.”

Outside of work, Kylie has a (self-confessed) handbag obsession which happily she wields her vice for good, donating annually to the ‘Share the Dignity’ campaign to ‘end period poverty’. The lovely recipients receive a bunch of essential goodies all tucked away in a gorgeous bag, to add some glam and bring some extra light to their lives.

Chris Chapman – Chief Information Officer

Technology (as part of the STEM domain) is a field which has traditionally lacked diversity (in terms of gender specifically), from the grass roots level through to senior leadership (with declining representation as seniority increases).

Chris has a track record of working to move the dial and create opportunity for women to progress and gain exposure to more senior opportunities, in technology.

In conjunction with this year’s IWD theme of “Accelerate Action” Chris has pledged that:

“In 2025 I’ll continue to champion the development of women in the technology space by committing to gender diversity on interview panels and in who we interview for our new hires.”

Sam Di Lena – Applications Manager

Sam is part of Chris’ team and has been with PRC in various roles in technology for almost 12 years!

She is passionate about nurturing connections, sparking change and inspiring others to reach their full potential. As a leader she is intent on fostering a culture where everyone can thrive.

Sam is active in her broader community via her work as a public speaker and mentor and is currently completing her Coaching Accreditation so she can continue to support women (and their allies) to lead, thrive and have their voices heard.

Dr Parveen Sulthana Mohamed Ali – Radiologist

Dr Mohamed Ali imparted her sentiment on what IWD means to her and how it reminds her of her role in accelerating action on behalf of women and girls.

A day to honour and celebrate women around the world. It is also a day to remind ourselves that there are still women in this world fighting their battles for a better life and to achieve their dreams.

For me, IWG means to work together to empower women, to create gender equality and to create a future free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination and a world that is more inclusive. And these changes should start with us, be it at home or at the workplace.

“Here’s to women sparking change and being a beacon of hope.”

Dr Wasana Thambavitage – Radiologist

Dr Wasana Thambavitage graciously shared her story with us, as well as a beautiful definition for diversity and its power in the world.
Born and raised in Sri Lanka, a country with limited resources yet a paradise of sincere human beings, I was blessed to excel academically to an extent that broadened my horizons and opened an abundance of opportunities to explore.

As I first arrived in Australia, with my husband; the strongest pillar of my life, and five-year-old daughter; the little warrior, I confess that I carried along a mixed package of emotions of uncertainty as to how we would survive the challenges of work, studies and life; particularly raising my daughter in an exotic cultural setting.

Today, five years down the lane, as I serve this wonderful land, Australia as a consultant radiologist, looking back at the path we’ve travelled, I myself wonder where I gathered that perseverance.

Then I realise it’s not my story, but our story. Although the plot or the setting may vary, we women keen on developing career perspectives, whilst caring for our families, parents, siblings, etc, we share bits and pieces of the same struggle.

Diversity, as I perceive it, is a norm of nature, which is meant to maintain its fine balance. Equity and inclusivity are what nature would expect in return to nurture the same.
I feel so blessed about the sense of inclusivity I experience in the professional arena that I’m a part of.

I sincerely wish our generation will continue instilling the qualities in the younger minds, just so they’d acknowledge the real purpose of diversity is for unity and not for division.
Women’s day for me is a reminder for each woman, that they carry the unique blend of both strength and serenity.

“I cannot emphasise how much I’ve been inspired by and however much I’m grateful for many such women who held me under their wing throughout my career.”