Gender equality target to boost diversity in local government

Local Government Professionals Australia is aiming to achieve a gender balance of 40% women, 40% men and 20% of any gender in local government leadership roles by 2025. Local government peak body president Victoria MacKirdy noted that there is an expectation that local government be truly representative of the communities it serves, adding that achieving gender balance at a senior level is a step closer to expanding the diversity and equity of representation in the sector.

Local Government Professionals Australia published interviews with senior executives from across Australia, detailing their own professional and personal leadership stories and the progress of gender equity in the sector.

“Our office is releasing this document on International Women’s Day not just to celebrate the progress the sector has made, but to explore what still needs to change,” said Clare Sullivan, CEO of Local Government Professionals Australia.

The organisation will release a toolkit with resources to empower local governments to reach the target in their own senior leadership teams and provide opportunities to emerging leaders in their organisations. This push for gender equity is an extension of the professional association’s advocacy agenda and policy platform for 2020–2022, with one key goal for local government to support and practise the principles of diversity and inclusion.

The move follows the organisation’s recent partnership with the Australian Government’s Office for Women on a national program supporting women working in local government who have been financially impacted by COVID-19.

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