Gender Equality in Local Government

On 4 February 2021, Local Government Minister, The Hon Shaun Leane MP and Minister for Women, the Hon Gabrielle Williams MP announced the formation of a new Gender Equality Advisory Committee (GEAC).The GEAC will be led by Kat Theophanous MP, and Juliana Addison MP, and will draw on the experience from across the sector to ensure local government can harness the benefits of equality for all Victorians. This new committee has been formed in an effort to drive gender equality across Victoria’s 79 councils.

The committee will advise the Minister for Local Government and Minister for Women, The Hon Gabrielle Williams, on how to deliver the Government’s target of 50 per cent female mayors and councillors by 2025. The Implementation of equality measures in the Local Government Act 2020 and Australian-first Gender Equality Act will also be a priority, addressing the challenges identified by women elected as councillors and as council employees.

This work follows the 2020 local government elections, where 272 women were elected to council – representing 43.8 percent of councillors. While a new high for both Victoria and the nation, there is still some way to go to achieve the 50 per cent target by 2025.

Local Government Minister Shaun Leane has announced the 16 members of the inaugural Gender Equality Advisory Committee.

The ten inaugural members of the Committee, chosen through an expression of interest process, are:

• Cr Jennifer Barrera, Wyndham City Council
• Cr Mary-Ann Brown, Southern Grampians Shire Council
• Fleur Cousins, General Manager Corporate, Campaspe Shire Council
• Cr Jenna Davey-Burns, Kingston City Council
• Rachael Gadd, Director Infrastructure and Environment, Towong Shire Council
• Cr Helen Healy, Deputy Mayor, Mildura Rural City Council
• Jessie Holmes, Chief Executive Officer, Yarriambiack Shire Council
• Meghan Hopper, Senior Coordinator – Advocacy, Moonee Valley City Council
• Rebecca McKenzie, Chief Executive Officer, Glen Eira City Council
• Cr Sarah Race, Mornington Peninsula Shire Council

The Committee will also have six standing members representing sector organisations:

• Cr Jennifer Anderson, Municipal Association of Victoria representative for the Rural North Central region and Mayor, Macedon Ranges Shire Council
• Kathryn Arndt, Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Local Governance Association
• Jennifer Bednar, Board Member, Local Government Professionals
• Maria Dimopoulos AM, Board Member, Reconciliation Victoria
• Cr Kylie Spears, President, Australian Local Government Women’s Association (Victoria Branch)
• Natasha Wark, Lead Organiser – Local Government Industry Team, Australian Services Union (Victoria and Tasmania Branch)

The GEAC held its first meeting on 22 April 2021 and its second meeting on 18 June 2021.

The Committee is examining the following  key themes as part  of its work program:

• Strategies to achieve gender parity at 2024 local government  elections
• Capacity building, workforce planning and recruitment
• Creating safe and respectful Council structures, and
• Breaking down systemic and structural barriers.

If you would like further information you can email the GEAC secretariat via email LGV-GEAC-Secretariat@ecodev.vic.gov.au. Eveline Kane, Program Manager Strategy and Implementation is also available for contact via email Eveline.kane@ecodev.vic.gov.au

Terms of Reference for the Gender Equality Advisory Committee can be found here.

November 2020 marked 100 years since the election of Victoria’s first female councillor, Mary Rogers, to Richmond City Council.

In a fitting tribute, results from the 2020 Local Government elections came in the same week as the anniversary. Victoria elected 272 women – 43.8 per cent of councillors, the most in Australian history.

The Victorian Government’s Gender Equality Strategy, Safe and Strong, sets a target of 50/50 gender representation on councils by 2025.

When you have diversity in decision-making bodies, you make better decisions. As the level of government closest to communities, it’s vital councils reflect all the people they serve.

But gender equality is not just about elected councillors. It’s also about local government staff.

Councils employ more than 45,000 Victorians. While more than half of that workforce is female, only one third of directors and managers are women, including 30 per cent of chief executives.

Local Government Victoria helps to fund several programmes to promote and support gender equality in local government:

• The It’s Our Time campaign to promote and support women on councils
• The Victorian Local Governance Association’s (VLGA) Local Women Leading Change program
• Australian Local Government Women’s Association’s (Vic Branch) mentoring program for new female councillors
• The VLGA’s Your Community, Country and Council programme that supports aboriginal men and women to stand for council

• The Local Government Victoria Best practice for gender equity in local government helps councillors and council managers boost gender diversity in their councils and workforces.
• Best practice guide for gender equity in local government (PDF, 1292.74 KB)
  Best practice guide for gender equity in local government (DOCX, 82.4 KB)
• The Victorian Government’s Gender Equality Strategy, Safe and Strong,  sets out a State-wide framework for enduring and sustained action on gender equality, including targets for local government
• The Victorian Auditor-General’s ongoing sexual harassment in local government enquiry will inform further work on sexual harassment in councils

The new Gender Equality and Local Government Acts, passed into law earlier this year, put gender equality, diversity and inclusion as a key priority for councils and their staff.

The two Acts complement each other and introduce a wide range of different measures, including:

• Councils must prepare workforce plans that measure gender equality, diversity and inclusiveness in their workforce
• Councillors will have access to paid parental leave and reimbursement for care expenses
• Action on sexual harassment and other forms of councillor misconduct
• Gender equality audits across the local government sector

One of the most significant reforms of the Australian-first Gender Equality Act is the role of Public Sector Gender Equality Commissioner.

The Commissioner will oversee implementation of the Gender Equality Act and play a key leadership role in promoting gender equality in the Victorian community and workplaces – including councils.

In September 2020, Minister for Women Gabrielle Williams announced the appointment of Dr Niki Vincent to the position.

For more on the work of the Commissioner, visit https://www.genderequalitycommission.vic.gov.au/the-public-sector-gender-equality-commissioner