Q. What is the Year of Women in Local Government

The Year of Women in local Government is a celebration of the significant contribution women make to local government.  The primary focus of the Year of Women in Local Government is to raise awareness and promote the need for increased participation of women in executive and elected leadership roles within councils and shires across Australia.

Q. Why facilitate a Year of Women in Local Government

There are approximately in excess of 170,000 people employed, elected or involved in local government in Australia.  Over half of these are women, yet:

• Women represent less than 30% of councillors and elected members
• Only 20% of women are employed as senior executives, and
• Only 7% of CEOS are women

In light of the current skills shortages and impending baby boomer retirements over the next decade, the participation of women in local government will become increasingly critical. Without women in the workforce and as elected representatives, the local government sector simply does not have the depth of talent, experience and skills to survive.

Equally, local government, as the level of government closest to the people delivers vital infrastructure and human services, such as local roads, community facilities, environmental and waste services, child care and health, library and welfare services.  In order to ensure local decision making continues to be effective, it needs to ensure that both management and elected officials reflect the gender balance and diversity of the communities it supports and represents. 

Q. Who owns the Year of Women in Local Government

The Year of Women in Local Government is owned by the Australian local government sector and the tens of thousands of men and women who are employed, elected or involved in councils and shires across Australia. 

Local Government Managers Australia (LGMA) facilitates the Year of Women in Local Government on behalf of a National Steering Committee comprising federal and state government agencies, local government authorities, professional associations and peak bodies.

Q. What are the objectives of Year of Women in Local Government

To raise awareness of the significant role women play in the effectiveness and long-term health of local government, and the need to increase their participation. This will be achieved by promoting – through practical examples and dissemination of research – the benefits of increasing the participation of women and embracing gender equity at both elected and executive levels;

To foster commitment to local government becoming an ‘employer of choice’ through advocating for cultural and attitudinal change to remove barriers to the advancement of women;

To encourage councils, through a range of communication channels, to establish targets to:

- increase the participation of local government women in decision making roles;
-increase participation of local government women in management and leadership training and mentoring programs; and
- establish communication, support and developmental structures that can be readily maintained and that will be available post 2010 to maintain the momentum of the year.

Q. What is the ‘business case’ for increasing the participation of women in local government?

There is both an equity and real business case to promoting workplace diversity and increasing the participation of women in executive and elected leadership roles.

• Women are professional and capable
  The achievements of women are high in both the sector and the general community. Women represent a strong pool of talent and can bring a range of knowledge and skills to local government, especially at a time of high demand for expertise, increased sustainability, improved governance and greater accountability.
• Women are excellent communicators
  Women are widely viewed as strong communicators and collaborators. Women are not afraid to ask questions. This has been shown to impact positively on an organisation’s decision making process, broaden awareness of stakeholder interests and encourage innovative and comprehensive problem solving techniques.
• Women build strong working relationships
  In organisations where people are working in a highly complex environment, strong working relationships are critical to success. Women have a well-developed ability to recognise and work with other people’s perspectives and situations, develop positive working relationships and facilitate collaboration.
• Women are creative
  An organisation’s ability to solve problems and respond positively to unforeseen shifts in the external environment can be increased by well-balanced diversity that promotes creativity and innovation, particularly at senior levels.
• Women contribute to increased return on investment
  Increased female participation at executive and elected levels can enhance an organisation’s ability to respond to key shifts in the economy. A number of influential studies in the US found that a critical mass of women in senior roles made a significantly positive difference in gross sales revenue, market share and overall net operating profits.

Q. What does the logo mean?

The Year of Women in Local Government logo is the result of collaboration between the National Steering Committee and over 250 women in local government who participated in a branding survey and interactive workshop. 

Creative | Strong | Inclusive | Diverse

Through imagery, symbolism and colour, and in the true spirit of growth and prosperity, the Year of Women in Local Government logo celebrates and promotes the unique attributes, contributions and achievements women bring to local government and their communities, and to support women’s career development and pathways for success.  It achieves this in the following ways:

• Eight coloured branches - encapsulating the elements of diversity, journey, direction, skill and attributes, pathways and the many ways women make a difference in our communities.

• The circle - represents inclusiveness, collaboration and unified strength of women in local government

• The colours - no one colour best represents women in local government. Women are best represented by a number of bright colours that symbolise and define diversity and creativity.

Q. Who are the Year of Women in Local Government Ambassadors

The Year of Women in Local Government Ambassadors represent 21 outstanding women and men who were nominated by their councils and shires as having made significant contributions to the advancement of women in local government. 

The 20 women and one male represent a variety of different levels and positions including CEOs, elected members, departmental managers and officers. 

The Year of Women in Local Government Ambassadors will act as role-models and champion the need for increased participation of women into executive and leadership roles.

Q. How do I engage a Year of Women in Local Government Ambassador to attend a function or Year of Women activity?

You can engage a Year of Women in Local Government Ambassador to attend and/or speak at your YoWiLG function or activity by contacting the relevant LGMA state division.  Log onto www.lgma.org.au for contact details.  Alternatively you can contact the LGMA national office on (03) 9682 9222.

Q. What events and/or activities are planned for the Year of Women in Local Government

There are a number of new and existing events and activities planned for the Year of Women in Local Government by a vast number of government agencies, professional associations, peak bodies and councils all across Australia.  Please refer to the Events page for more information.

Q. How can I get involved in the Year of Women in Local Government?

There are many ways to get involved in the Year of Women in Local Government including registering to attend one of the many new and existing events, participating in surveys and interactive forums and blogs, subscribing to receive latest news and updates or simply advocating the increased participation of women in senior management and elected leadership roles in your council.

Q. How can my council get involved in the Year of Women in Local Government?

There are a number of ways councils can get involved in the Year of Women in Local Government.  Examples may include:

• Establishing an award that recognises the outstanding achievements of women employed, elected or involved in a volunteer capacity in your council
• Hosting a networking event or setting up a network support group, establishing a mentor-program
• Entering a team in the 2010 LGMA Management Challenge
• Reviewing current human resource practices with the view to establishing volunteer targets that reflect gender equity, or
• Including the Year of Women in Local Government logo on your council’s website and intranet sites.  

Councils can also become a program partner of the Year of Women in Local Government.  For more information contact Nicole Walker on (03) 9682 9222.

Q. Who endorses the Year of Women in Local Government?

The Year of Women in Local Government is endorsed by the federal Departments of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government and the Office of Women.  In fact, the Rudd government has pledged almost $500,000 to activities that promote the increased participation of women in senior executive and elected leadership roles.  These include:

• $250,000 for an ALGWA’s three-year 50:50 Vision: Council for Gender Equity program that will audit councils and shires to determine the status and participation of women in leadership roles;
• $100,000 in scholarship funding to enable senior women in local government to participate in the new executive leadership program being developed by the Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government;
• $100,000 to improve the collection of data and reporting on the status of women in the local government sector; and
• $40,000 to LGMA for the 2010 Management Challenge, which will enable around 130 councils to identify strategies to promote gender equity in their councils.

The Year of Women in Local Government is also endorsed by various state departments, local government authorities, professional associations and peak professional bodies with an interest in local government by their involvement with the National Steering Committee.

Q. How is the Year of Women in Local Government funded?

The day-to-day project management, administration and marketing of the Year of Women in Local Government is funded by partnership pledges from individual councils and shires and professional associations in Australia.  For more information on becoming a pledge partner contact Nicole Walker on (03) 9682 9222.

Q. How will the success of the Year of Women in Local Government be measured?

There are a number of ways in which the success of the Year of Women in Local Government will be measured.  These include:

• The number of events and activities staged as part of the Year of Women in Local Government by councils, professional associations and peak professional bodies
• Attendance at events and activities;
• Website and media hits;
• The number of councils that set voluntary targets for increased participation of women in senior management and elected roles;
• General feedback, and ultimately
• An increase in the number of women promoted to senior management roles, or elected onto councils and shires.

Q. What happens when the Year of Women in Local Government ends?

The primary focus for the Year of Women in Local Government is to raise awareness of the value of, and need to increase the participation of women in senior management and elected leadership roles.  As such the Year of Women in Local Government is a platform to achieving long-term systemic and cultural change that supports women and builds their capacity to thrive.  We envisage that all councils and shires, government departments and professional associations and peak bodies will continue to promote the value and significant contribution of women in local government well into the future.  That they will continue to set and work towards voluntary targets that reflect gender balance in the workplace and as elected representatives, and will truly become representative of the communities they seek to represent.