Victorian councils all held mayoral elections last month, to elect new leaders from amongst their number or in some case re-elect the incumbents. Three councils weren’t allowed to have a new mayor for Christmas as they have been ‘allegedly’ naughty not nice this year.
Law student, Emilia Lisa Sterjova, was elected mayor of the City of Whittlesea, becoming the youngest woman ever elected as mayor of an Australian council aged 22. Councillor Alahna Desiato was elected her Deputy Mayor, aged 26. Cr Sterjova was first elected in 2016 as the youngest councillor in Victoria at the age of 19.
Congratulations must go to the 48 percent of Victorian councils that now have female mayors, bringing the state’s total to 37 out of 77. It’s a great step forward for gender equity in local government and the best way to produce positive role models for prospective councillors.
Next year will see council elections in three states/territories namely Queensland, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria.
Victorian Local Governance Association is busily forwarding the cause of gender equity in local government with its Local Women Leading Change campaign. The aim is to raise the number of women elected to council from the current 38 percent to 50 percent. Launched back in March 2019 on International Women’s Day it received $50,000 in support from the Andrews Government.
Local Government New South Wales (NSW), in a bid to reverse the declining number of women running in local government elections in that state, has joined with the Country Women’s Association of NSW, Australian Local Government Women’s Association (ALGWA), ALGWA NSW and Women for Election Australia calling on their State Government to help.
New South Wales has the lowest percentage of female representation at 31 percent, while Tasmania leads the way at 40 percent. Most other states are also closer to 40 percent than 30 percent.
Meanwhile, recent local government elections in Western Australia in October 2019 were well attended, hopefully a demonstration of renewed community interest for participating in the democratic process.
