There’s no doubt the world has come a long way when it comes to gender equality, but most will agree there’s still plenty more to be done.
Adequate female representation in all levels of government and corporate executive positions is paramount in the pursuit of advancing gender equality, in a way that ensures policy and decision-making reflects the priorities of all.
With the September Local Government Election looming, Women for Election Australia (WFEA) is running a workshop, aimed at equipping more women to run for Local Government.
Currently, female representation in Australian Council chambers’ sits at around 31 per cent.
Cumberland City Council has two females out of 15 elected Councillors and City of Parramatta has four out of 15.
WFEA CEO Licia Heath said the country desperately needs more women elected at all levels of government.
“Women make up over half the population, yet have less than a third of the voices at the decision-making tables in Local Government,” she said.
Minister for Local Government Shelly Hancock said the program was part of the State Government’s commitment to increasing the number of female Councillors serving their local communities and achieving greater diversity in Councils.
“We’ve already hosted a series of successful online workshops partnering with Women for Election Australia,” she said.
“Participants surveyed felt twice as prepared to stand for public office after completing the workshop.”
Cumberland City Councillor Lisa Lake said having a significant number of women on Council challenges the dominant male culture of leadership.
She says it also brings about a balance for different priorities when it comes to policy
making.
“Gender diversity on a council is very important, as it brings different life experiences to the table and makes for better policy discussions,” she said.
City of Parramatta Councillor Lorraine Wearne said its an uphill battle, with life commitments, such as taking care of children, being a leading cause of a lack of
female participation.
“We need to work on issues of childcare and related matters to enable younger
women to participate,” she said.
City of Parramatta Councillor Donna Davis’ advice for those looking to run is to
not be afraid.
“The responsibility of being an elected representative and the idea of debating and decision-making can be daunting,” she said.
“Embrace the challenge and opportunity to make a difference.”
The six-hour workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 28 at Wentworth Point
Community Centre and Library.
For more information and to register, visit http://www.wfea.org.au.
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.