Supporting our future female councillors

The State Government is helping more women become leaders in their community, by providing training and mentoring to boost their chances of being elected as local councillors.

Applications have opened for the second round of the Government’s Women Leading Locally Program, which aims to build gender equality on local government councils by 2025.

The program is equipping 125 local leaders with the connections and tools to campaign as candidates in the 2024 council elections.

At the last local government elections in 2020, Victoria set a new national record for female representation with women making up 43.8 per cent of elected councillors – Moorabool followed this trend in electing three female Councillors in the seven-member Council, being Crs. Berry. Dudzik and Munari.

Cr Ally Munari said prior to the 2020 elections the government offered women information sessions, online during covid, on how to prepare, what to expect etc.

“This was incredibly valuable. It really prepared us for the campaign period and the lead up to the election, and if we were to be elected, what to expect.

“I still use some of that information today as the Woodlands councillor for Moorabool Shire,” she said.

The Women Leading Locally Program is being delivered by the Institute of Community Directors Australia in partnership with Women for Election – the first round has provided training and mentoring to 60 women from local government areas with low female representation. The second round is open to women from a further 32 areas.

Hume resident Emily Greco began the program in 2022.

“Before this program, the idea of running for local council was daunting and it seemed like an exclusive club where people spoke a different language,” Ms Greco said.

“This training has broken down a lot of those barriers and taught me that anyone with a passion for their local community has a right to run for council.”

Applications for round two of the Women Leading Locally Program are open until Friday, 14 April. To find out more visit, localgovernment.vic.gov.au.