The VLGA, along with the Victorian Government, has been advocating for gender equality across Victorian councils by 2025. However, analysis of the recent election results completed by the VLGA, in partnership with GenderLens Australia, shows we are disappointingly yet to reach 50:50 gender representation in the sector.
How close did we get?
280 women were successfully elected to councils across Victoria this year – a rise of 15 since before the election. However, the percentage of women elected remains unchanged at 43%.
38% of councils have a 50% or greater women’s representation.
What does it look like across Victoria?
Metropolitan areas are leading the way when it comes to equal representation, with more than 60% of councils having 50% or more women elected.
VLGA members lead the way
VLGA members are outperforming non-member councils when it comes to equal representation. More than 60% of VLGA member councils have a majority of women elected or are within one seat of gender parity.
Fresh faces
The majority of councillors elected in 2024 are new to the role, with 371 (57%) of councillors having never held office before. Out of the 421 existing councillors who made the choice to re-stand, 66% were re-elected.
Re-elected Councillors
The percentage of incumbent councillors re-elected was the same across both men and women.