Women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, are being urged to nominate for next year’s Wyndham council elections.
To help encourage women to nominate for the October 22, 2016, elections, the state government has allocated $50,0000 to the Victorian Local Governance Association’s GoWomenLG 2016 project.
The project aims to increase the number of female council candidates across the state.
In Wyndham, 16 per cent of women are from a culturally and linguistically diverse background (CALD), while less than one per cent are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.
The council currently has 11 councillors, four of whom are women.
Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins said while the number of women in leadership roles within local government was slowly growing, women were still under-represented.
Only 35 per cent of Victorian councillors are women.
“Our councils are most effective when they reflect the communities they serve,” Ms Hutchins said. “That’s why we’re investing in mentoring women and those of Aboriginal and culturally and linguistically diverse background. The current cohort of female councillors has paved the way.”
