A group of 65 women are participating in the second wave of the Women Leading Locally program as Victoria moves closer to achieving gender equality in Local Government.
The women from across the State are assisted with the tools and connections to advance their leadership ambitions ahead of the Local Government elections next year.
The participants were selected with a focus on regions where women were underrepresented in Councils with the 60 participants from the first year of the program due to graduate in August.
Women Leading Locally is being delivered by the Institute of Community Directors Australia in partnership with Women for Election with the assistance of the Department of Government Services.
The Department said Victoria had set a national high mark for female local government representation at the 2020 Council elections with women making up 43.8 per cent of the successful candidates.
“There is more work to be done to achieve gender equality on Councils, particularly in rural areas,” the Department said.
“Women participating in the program also represent other historically underrepresented groups including Aboriginal women, young women, culturally and linguistically diverse women, women living with disability and women who identify as LGBTQI+,” it said.
A participant in the round two program, Wadawurrung woman Kelly Ann Blake from the Loddon Mallee region, welcomed the push for increased participation by women in leadership roles in rural Victoria.
“As a biodiversity project officer for the Wadawurrung Aboriginal Corporation, Ms Blake is committed to leading by example in raising community awareness about native habitat and wildlife preservation as a means of bringing people together,” the Department said.
“Through the Women Leading Locally program, she plans to assist women from underrepresented groups to effect community change where it is needed most.”
The Minister for Local Government, Melissa Horne said the women were being equipped with the skills and resources they need to put their best cases for election to their local Council.
“It is important that Councils are representative of the communities they serve,” Ms Horne said.
“Gender equality is an essential part of achieving this aim.”
Further information about Women Leading Locally can be accessed at this PS News link.
