The Council of Australian Life Insurers has announced the first grant recipients under this year’s program for women in the advice profession.

Brisbane-based Aisha Elnour and Sydney’s Kristen Agius will each receive $2000 to support their attendance at the Financial Advice Association Australia Congress in Melbourne next month.

The council says the ReCALIbrate initiative has helped 15 female financial risk advisers attend the FAAA event since it began in 2023.

The program was expanded this year from five grants to 10 for women working across life insurance and financial advice.

The program includes the two $2000 FAAA Congress grants and eight places in the ReCALIbrate Women in Life Insurance Program, which comes with membership to the Future Women’s Platinum+ Emerging Leaders scheme. CALI says the eight people chosen for the 12-month Women in Life Insurance Program will be announced next month.

“The future of life insurance and financial risk advice will be shaped by the people we back today,” council CEO Christine Cupitt said.

“Aisha and Kristen bring different experiences to risk advice, but they share a deep belief in the difference it can make when people face some of life’s hardest moments.

“By helping talented women like these to build their skills, networks, visibility, we are investing in a stronger future for the advice profession.”