Women Leading Locally - supporting women to develop their leadership potential
The Victorian Government is committed to achieving 50 per cent women councillors and mayors in local government by 2025.
Women Leading Locally is one of the key initiatives to support this effort.
The program provides participants with resources and skills to campaign in the 2024 local government elections.
Women Leading Locally is being delivered by the Institute of Community Directors Australia (ICDA) in partnership with Women for Election.
125 women from across Victoria are participating in the program, with a focus on local government areas with the lowest female representation on council.
Participants were also selected from historically underrepresented groups including young women, women who are Aboriginal, live with a disability, are from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds or identify as LGBTQI+.
Sixty women graduated from the first round of the program in August 2023. A further sixty-five participants commenced the second round in July 2023
As well as developing leadership skills, Women Leading Locally also equips participants with connections, mentoring, and motivation to keep up the pace all the way to the 2024 elections.
Program graduates receive a Certificate in Community Leadership and Governance (Local Government).
To find out more about the program please visit the ICDA website here.
You can also contact Local Government Victoria at wilgvic@ecodev.vic.gov.au.