When it comes to female trailblazers this International Women’s Day, look no further than Renewal SA Development Manager, Lija Foley.

Lija’s life and career began in Noosa, Queensland and she has been breaking all kinds of barriers inside and outside of the workplace ever since.

Her knowledge of the property industry and passion for community has taken her from Queensland, all the way to the top end in Darwin and disadvantaged communities of India, before settling into her role at Renewal SA.

Lija is Development Manager, Industrial and Defence, which involves the establishment and delivery of critical projects that enhance South Australia’s sovereign efforts, such as Edinburgh Parks and Mawson Lakes.

This includes everything from master planning and managing complex defence contracts between government agencies, contractors, subcontractors and international partners to risk management and cultural heritage checks.

“For sure, my path is an interesting one and I happened to fall into development after holding a number of roles in a few different fields,” Lija said.

“At times it has been tough, and I have seen a lot of change over the years.”

One example of gender inequality Lija combated in the workplace was an outdated mindset towards women and their career.

“In one of my early jobs there was a male or two who weren’t exactly supportive of ambitious women in the workplace,” she reflected.

“They believed that women should solely focus on getting married and having children, instead of progressing their own career.

“We have clearly come a long way in this regard, with more still to be achieved for females.”

Lija was previously involved building the suburb ‘Peregian Springs’ on the Sunshine Coast from scratch, which was a 22-year project that made an impact on a community 15 minutes from Noosa.

Lija featured in 13 of these years, working on the master plan and building a thriving new community.

She well and truly epitomises this year’s theme ‘March Forward’, breaking down the barriers that stand in her way.

“To me, International Women’s Day means a lot more than it used to,” she admitted.

“My time spent in Darwin and it being a small-knit community, they made International Women’s Day a big occasion and there was a real effort to celebrate women, which brought my attention to the day and an appreciation for it.

“I just want to be able to help create and inspire change for women and girls.”

Lija volunteers for ‘Share the Dignity’ which strives to end period poverty and promote dignity for those who menstruate, after learning in 2018 approximately 26,000 females live on the streets of Queensland.

She also embarked on a solar scouting mission for a solar power non-profit which involved community surveys in India. This inspired her thesis and reinforced her commitment to engagement at all socio-economic levels and backgrounds.

Lija’s tireless efforts in support of women and girls have left a lasting impact around Australia and Renewal SA is fortunate to have her.