The Australian Local Government Women’s Association (ALGWA) Victorian chapter held its annual conference in April, broaching questions on how to best attract younger women to local government.
Hosted by Banyule City Council in Melbourne’s northeast, the two-day conference featured a lineup of speakers with personal experience of strong leadership, both from within local government and across corporate and non-profit sectors.
Victorian Minister for Local Government, the Hon Natalie Hutchins MP, opened the event at The Centre Ivanhoe on 7 April.
Founder of the Breast Cancer Network Australia, Lyn Swinburne, provided a keynote address, telling her story of building individual grassroots activism to a massive collective scale.
A panel session discussing generational change featured former-councillor of City of Greater Geelong Barbara Abley AM and member of Victorian Legislative Council Samantha Dunn, alongside the next crop of leadership talent, RMIT journalism student Rachael Ward and Year 12 student Grace Britton, who participate in Banyule’s youth programs.
The panel fielded questions on the barriers that women in leadership roles continue to face, including condescending attitudes from male peers and harsh treatment in the media.
“I’m appalled by the way women are treated in the media,” quipped Dunn, “…I don’t care what Julia Gillard’s bum looks like.”
Winner of the 2015 ALGWA bursary, Melissa Crane from Murrindindi Shire, spoke of her experiences returning to university to study management. Crane said she was surprised at being in an 80 percent-male class and at some of the prevailing attitudes, adding that local government is well positioned to increase gender equality.
The ALGWA national Annual General Meeting was held in conjunction with the conference, at which Councillor Helen Coleman of Nillumbik Shire Council was announced as new president of the Victorian branch.
Cr Coleman takes over from Mayor of the City of Boroondara, Councillor Coral Ross, who retains her role as President of the national association.
