Bega Valley Shire Council has a plan to encourage more women to stand at the next Council election.
The program will be launched in September, with an information session for women considering standing for election in 2012.
Councillor Liz Seckold hopes the program will encourage more women to participate in all aspects of Local Government through educating them on the daily life of Councillors.
“The women will be sourced through invitations to individual women and organisations such as chambers of commerce, service clubs, educational institutions, women’s groups and the like, as well as through a media campaign promoting the program,” she said.
“We will also be asking women with experience in Local Government, either here or on other councils, to come along and talk about what drew them to Local Government, the satisfactions and the drawbacks.”
Councillor Seckhold said follow up sessions would be held in March and September next year as well as March 2012 and will include briefings from staff on management plans, codes of conduct and ethics and how votes are counted at elections.
“We will also talk about how to run a campaign: the need to form a support group of people not only for the campaign period but also for afterwards as sounding boards; the need to learn how to caucus; how to word a motion and to argue a case,” she said.
“We might invite guest speakers such as news editors; radio interviewers, public speaking trainers and the like.
“We will encourage as many women as possible to participate in the two year program before deciding for or against standing.
“What we are hoping for is a group of well informed ratepayers and voters and, hopefully, an increase in the number of female councillors after the next election.”
