Just over 100 years ago, Victorian women became eligible to stand as local councillors.
As is often the case in Australia’s history, the occasion was marked with bureaucracy rather than bloodshed – but it had been hard fought for, and hard won.
Although the right to stand and the right to serve had already been achieved for women in the Federal Parliament, up until then they had been ineligible to stand as candidates at the state and local level. The election of female councillors was the next step towards true suffrage.
It was a change marked by one small edit to the legislation. The words ‘no female’ were removed from section 52 of the Local Government Act 1903, which had read:
‘No female, no uncertificated and undischarged bankrupt or insolvent, and no person attainted of treason or convicted of felony or perjury or any infamous crime, no person of unsound mind, and no person not qualified as herein required or disqualified hereunder, shall be capable of being or continuing a councillor of any municipality.’
While the removal of the ban on female councillors passed the Parliament, the Hansard records show that it was not universally supported.
It would never work some argued. It would only serve as a ‘nuisance’ to male candidates.
It must have been a sentiment shared more broadly, because it wasn’t until 1920 that the first female was elected as a Victorian Councillor. It was Mrs Mary Rogers, a passionate social justice advocate and a strong union leader, who was finally elected to Richmond City Council.
Proving that even then work and family balance was a juggling act, Mary was a single mother to four, while she fulfilled her duties as a local representative.
While Mary lost re-election in 1925, she had triggered a change. Six more women were elected to local councils in the 1920’s and three more in the 1930’s. By the 1970’s, there was an increase from only 2% of all Councillors being women to 10%.
Currently, 34% of all councillors in Victoria are women. And for the first time ever, every Victorian Council has at least one female councillor.
While we’ve certainly come a long way, we’re still not there. Women represent half of our population – they should represent half of our council representatives.
As the Minister for Local Government and someone who has fought for gender equality, it’s core to what I want to achieve.
Change begins with groups like the Australian Local Government Women’s Association (ALGWA), whose Victorian branch’s conference I attended over the weekend. Their members, strong, invested and empowered women, are working hard to support women who want to represent their communities.
It ends with all tiers of government taking a proactive stance. I’m proud to be part of the Andrews Labor Government, which has committed to future board appointments being 50% women. It’s an example that other sectors should be aiming for.
In every meeting I have with council representatives or local government stakeholders, it’s a point I’ll be making. The women who make up a third of councillors have made great strides – but nearly a century on from Mary Roger’s election, we need to do be doing better.