KINGSTON’S mayor is encouraging more women to put their hands up for local government elections later this year. The mayor Jenna Davey-Burns and deputy mayor Tracey Davies are the first all-female leadership team in Kingston Council’s history. Women are historically underrepresented on council – only four out of 11 serving Kingston councillors are women.
At a recent meeting with outgoing junior mayor Alexandra Shewan and deputy junior mayor Vanessa Comarmond, Davey-Burns stressed the importance of young women getting involved in leadership roles. With council elections looming in October, Davey-Burns said “women deserve to be at the decision making table. Despite the many barriers faced, together, we can drive equity for all women.”
“The horrendous scourge of gender-based violence and the health challenges being faced by women, people who identify as women, and girls across the globe are just two of the many issues that need strong, passionate and informed leadership,” she said. “Girls and young women deserve to have strong role models and opportunities to take up leadership roles in their schools, clubs, workplaces, local councils and at the other levels of government.”
On International Women’s Day earlier this year, a group of women who undertook the Women Leading Locally leadership program announced their nominations for councils statewide. The state government-financed program is designed to help achieve 50/50 gender representation in local government.
Youth worker Maureen Rodgers and volunteer Emily Green have both announced their candidacy for neighboring Frankston Council. Rodgers said “at the moment only one third of our council representatives are female. Having more equal gender representation in leadership delivers positive outcomes for both men and women. Diverse perspectives lead to better decision-making, innovative solutions, and a more comprehensive understanding of complex issues.”
Green said “understanding women’s experiences at a local level is so important for accurate council progression. That starts with women and gender diverse people, younger or older, putting their hand up and feeling pride in knowing that they will be contributing to a deserved level of representation.”
For more information on council elections visit kingston.vic.gov.au/council-elections.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 29th May 2024