'Lagging badly': The women fighting Moyne Shire's male-dominated council representation

Penny Iddon, Genevieve Grant and Jody Kember took part in the Women Leading Locally program to build the skills, knowledge and connections necessary to take on significant leadership roles in the region.

But that's not to say they were under-qualified before. Ms Grant said the blunt truth was women had to leverage every attribute they had if they wanted to stand a chance in a local government election in Moyne.

"It's still a man's world down here. As women it's so stacked against us and it has been forever, and because it's systemic, nobody seems to notice," she said.

"One of the main things that was drummed home in the program was you have to run faster and harder than the men, you just have to do everything better than the men, to stand a chance."

Ms Iddon said a female candidate had to be exceptional if she wanted to be taken seriously, which wasn't the case for men.

"One of the candidates standing at the last council election said he was standing because he wasn't working anymore and had some time on his hands," she said.

"That worked for him, but it's not enough for a woman. You really have to be exceptional or you'll struggle.

"Karen Foster is a good example. She is so well known, so well respected and competent, yet she still only got the fifth-most votes."

Cr Foster, now in her third year on Moyne Shire and first as mayor, said she constantly asked local women why they wouldn't put their hands up for council.

"We know there's no shortage of smart, successful women in Moyne, but when I ask them a few themes keep coming up," Cr Foster said.

"They look at council behaviour, both from angry residents and bad behaviour in the chamber and that puts them off, which is a shame because it's actually not like that very often.

"Then because there are so many men in charge in other areas of the community, there are more men to support male candidates.

"And then there's the issue of balancing parenthood and a career, and when women are often already taking time out of their career to have children they would have to pare back their working hours again to take on being a councillor, so that prevents even more good candidates from stepping forward."

But Moyne is an outlier for its poor record voting for women to serve on council.

The Women Leading Locally program was set up in the wake of the 2020 local government elections to target councils that were lagging the field when it came to electing women. Statewide nearly 44 per cent of the councillors elected in 2020 were women, but in Moyne Cr Foster was the only one and she is only the second woman to serve as mayor.

She said Moyne clearly had an issue voting for women that went beyond the challenges preventing female candidates from running.

"We had four women running in 2020 and yet when you look at the results we only managed to get 16 per cent of the vote collectively," she said.

"We are lagging really badly. To be brutally honest, it's a very conservative area and I think the conservative consensus is that it's better to have a man in charge than a woman in charge.

"And as a result, it's very difficult for a woman to see herself on council."

Jody Kember didn't run for council in 2020, but she's weighing up a tilt in 2024 and said the leadership program had driven home how important it was to give women a seat at the table.

"This isn't about having a token woman there. Women bring things to the table that men simply can't, because we have different experiences and world views," Ms Kember said.

"Those basic council issues like planning will always be there, but maybe things like childcare would get more emphasis. The men on council just aren't impacted in the same way by that sort of thing."

Cr Foster said she and CEO Brett Davis had sat down with a group of local women only last week to discuss the lack of childcare in the region, and it was an issue she had sought to pursue as mayor.

"These women were saying 'my career is hanging in the balance here, I can't go to work'. It's not a matter of wanting childcare so they can go and get a coffee, they want to be able to work," Cr Foster said.

"So as a mother who has always wanted to work I can really understand that and want to push it as an issue that needs to be fixed."

Ms Grant said the program - which was led by successful women like former Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp and former Baw Baw Shire mayor Ruth McGowan - had offered dozens of examples of women making inspiring headway in a challenging environment.

But she said it had also offered practical tips on campaigning, talking to constituents and building a network and a local profile. She said they were all vital skills she hoped to use herself and pass on to any other women eager to put their hands up for council.

Ms Iddon said the program had given her hope, although she wasn't setting her expectations too high.

"It's all incredibly valuable experience, but I still honestly don't know what will get us to 50-50 representation. There's a long way to go," she said.

"Gender representation is the most basic diversity aspect and we're not even meeting that."

Cr Foster said she hoped there would be a large, strong field of female candidates in 2024.

"There are no guarantees, but it's a numbers game in the end and the more people who put their hand up the more chance we have of getting women around the council table," she said.

"Being a councillor has changed my life and one of the biggest ways it has done that is by showing me how to make my voice heard, and I want other women to have that experience.

"Whatever happens in 2024, I want to be able to feel proud of Moyne Shire. If I don't get elected that's fine but I'd love to see another three or four amazing women get a chance."

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