Our Work in the Gender Equality Space
Leadership in Gender Equality
The VLGA has a long and proud history of being a leader in gender equality, promoting the benefits of balanced gender representation and delivering high quality programs and resources which improve gender equality outcomes for the sector. The VLGA established the Victorian Local Government Women’s Charter with other sector leaders almost 30 years and since then have been a leader in advocating and supporting women’s participation in local government and decision making.
The VLGA pioneered gender equality initiatives in local government, including:
- The establishment and maintenance of the Women’s Charter, a partnership between VLGA, MAV and WPILC, changing attitudes and behaviours towards women in local government since 1997. 74 of the 79 Councils in Victoria are signatories.
- The Local Women Leading Change Handbook, providing free advice to women candidates is now in its 8th
- The Local Women Leading Change Candidate Training Program In 2024, VLGA delivered 48 sessions of gender-based candidate training to 20 councils.
- Cutting edge gender research, Breaking Barriers. VLGA partnered with Latrobe and Melbourne Universities in an ARC funded research project examining opportunities and barriers to women’s participation in local government.
- Gender Equal Councillor Awareness Campaigns including Don‘t Get Mad Get Elected (2000) Tap Her on the Shoulder (2020)
- An annual International Women’s Day keynote event
Our vision is for 50% of women to be elected as mayors and councillors The VLGA believes gender equality is essential to good governance and the prevention of fraud and corruption in local government. We know that diversity in the council chamber inevitably leads to strengthened and more informed decision making and good governance and contributes to the prevention of fraud and corruption in local government. The VLGA wants local councils to look like the people they represent. This is particularly relevant for a tier of government that is positioned closest to community.
We know our work is having a positive impact
Our election analysis last year shows VLGA member councils had better outcomes when it came to gender representation than non-member councils. The average number of women councillors at member councils in Victoria is currently sitting at 46%, compared to 38% at non-member councils.
In recent years the VLGA has not only expanded its gender-based training modules for councils and continued its Local Women Leading Change Program (LWLC), but it also conducted the first-ever VLGA Victorian Councillor Census to help identify the challenges and barriers preventing women and men from standing as councillors. The results of this ground-breaking work were shared in March 2024. The VLGA will be conducting the Census annually.
The VLGA’s current workplan supports gender equality in the local government sector through:
- The expansion of the Local Women Leading Change program to empower more women to nominate for council in 2028
- The development of an EAP Register to ensure councillors are aware of the health and wellbeing supports available to them and how to access them.
- The investment in a four-year Councillor Professional Development Program that directly aligns with the mandatory Victorian Government training guidelines for mayors, deputy mayors and councillors. This comprehensive professional development program includes:
- Pre-Election Candidate Training, including a program specifically tailored around gender, diversity and inclusion
- Councillor Induction Training
- Councillor Professional Development – individual modules & intensive block mode
- FastTrack – Annual Councillor Professional Development Conference
- Annual Mayoral Leadership Training
- Lunch & Learn Webinars
- Global Executive Live Panels
- The expansion of the VLGA’s community leadership programs to develop a pipeline of diverse community leaders capable of standing in the 2028 Victorian Local Government Election