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Final gender equity councillors

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Karen Purser
Karen Purser

This document summarizes exploratory research on gender equity in local government positions in Australia. It provides data showing women are underrepresented in senior leadership roles. The research aims to understand barriers to increasing women's representation. Interviews found issues vary between remote/rural and urban areas, including perceptions of women leaders and lack of family-friendly policies, especially regarding flexible work and maternity leave. Next steps include finalizing interviews, releasing findings, surveying the sector, and making recommendations to improve gender equity.

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Location as a Factor in Gender Equity in Local Government A Work in Progress Exploratory Research
What we know: Numbers: 175,000+ employed in LG Close to 50% are women Less than 30% of senior managers are female Fewer than 20% of CEOs 29% of councillors are women 19% of mayors are women
What we know: Gender balance in local government is important because: National skills shortage Local government has to compete with cashed up resource and community sectors for small pool of candidates Ageing workforce means that some councils are looking at losing up to 50% of their workforce over next 10 years
What we know: Gender balance in local government is important because: Effective Leadership Companies with gender diversity on boards and senior management teams fare better on any measure of success Senior managers, directors and CEOs nearing retirement age and no women being groomed for succession
What we know: Gender balance in local government is important because: Strengthening democracy A council that does not reflect its community cannot hope to represent it Where women are not represented at senior levels within government, gender analysis of issues such as the work and family area is non-existant, or poorly framed Strong female role models in local government encourage grass roots participation in community and government
What we know: Barriers to increasing representation of women in local government*: Corporate culture and attitudes Limited communication and awareness of equity issues Lack of performance measurement and accounting Perceptions and self-perceptions of women Complexities of people management and leadership Scope, scale and diversity of flexible work arrangements *Identified in 2010 LGMA Management Challenge Pre Challenge Task Summary (Kerry Sefton)
What we dont know: Extent to which those barriers apply across the sector: By size of council By remote/rural/regional/urban location
About the research: Methodology: Desk research Environmental scanning Qualitative, semi-structured interviews electronic and telephone
About the research: Sample: 28 semi-structured interviews with both elected representatives and senior managers/ceos* State: NSW VIC TAS SA WA NT QLD Type: P E P E P E P E P E P E P E Rural: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Remote: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Regional 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Metro: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 *Not all interviews have been finalised yet, so these are interim findings
What we found: Corporate Culture and Attitudes: Remote/ Issue Region Urban rural Councils can be a boys club and hard for women to break into Cultural issues around gender equity are not explicitly addressed in policy and programs Lack of organisational awareness of the need for change Poor understanding of the advantages for the organisation which would flow from gender equity The culture of the organisation is at odds with the intention that staff work reasonable hours
What we found: Limited communication and awareness of equity issues Remote/ Issue Region Urban rural Need for information on family and leave policies and the process for application Lack of internal communication about policies, reviews, events lead to staff being uninformed Limited community perception of a womans role in Local Government Lack of visible examples of successful senior women in LG leading balanced lifestyles Lack of sector wide business case to support gender equity
What we found: Performance and Accounting: Remote/ Issue Region Urban rural Reporting of labour-force gender and occupational segmentation is very limited EEO Plans lack effective measurement, review and public reporting processes Lack of gender sensitive indicators and targets to allow monitoring of gender imbalances within Council No statistics on how many of employees work part-time because they are parents, or have other carer responsibilities. A lack of commitment by municipalities and government to collect and analyse data
What we found: Strong perceptions and self-perceptions of women: Issue Remote/ Region Urban rural Women tend not to apply for job , whereas men tend to apply even if all selection criteria are not met Many women underestimate their significant experience in fields outside their workplace Some feel they lack experience for leadership roles, although they possess strong leadership skills Limited number of women in senior management positions as role models There is a belief that successful women leaders women must be competitive and aggressive
What we found: Complexities of people management: Issue Remote/ Region Urban rural Councils should be outcomes focused, for part-times to get same level of respect for performance Rural and remote councillors are required to travel long distances to attend work /meetings Most GMs have moved around spent time in different councils. More difficult to do with partner and family Perception that management roles are not just full- time, they are 24/7 Councillors sacrifice career opportunities for Council obligations.
What we found: Scope, scale and diversity of family friendly options Issue Remote/ Region Urban rural Maternity leave seen as a "career killer" Organisational reluctance to support staff working from home Flexible working arrangements not supported by senior management Lack of work flexibility in senior roles Lack of consistency in application of family friendly policies and practices
Where to from here: Interviews completed and research/discussion paper released in January feedback sought from sector Booklet containing profiles and experiences of respondents released in Feb/March Electronic survey for open participation Paper to make draft recommendations for councils Convene group of CEOs (male and female) to consider draft recommendations and advise on implementation
Where to from here: Your thoughts, ideas, suggestions?

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Final gender equity councillors

  • 1. Location as a Factor in Gender Equity in Local Government A Work in Progress Exploratory Research
  • 2. What we know: Numbers: 175,000+ employed in LG Close to 50% are women Less than 30% of senior managers are female Fewer than 20% of CEOs 29% of councillors are women 19% of mayors are women
  • 3. What we know: Gender balance in local government is important because: National skills shortage Local government has to compete with cashed up resource and community sectors for small pool of candidates Ageing workforce means that some councils are looking at losing up to 50% of their workforce over next 10 years
  • 4. What we know: Gender balance in local government is important because: Effective Leadership Companies with gender diversity on boards and senior management teams fare better on any measure of success Senior managers, directors and CEOs nearing retirement age and no women being groomed for succession
  • 5. What we know: Gender balance in local government is important because: Strengthening democracy A council that does not reflect its community cannot hope to represent it Where women are not represented at senior levels within government, gender analysis of issues such as the work and family area is non-existant, or poorly framed Strong female role models in local government encourage grass roots participation in community and government
  • 6. What we know: Barriers to increasing representation of women in local government*: Corporate culture and attitudes Limited communication and awareness of equity issues Lack of performance measurement and accounting Perceptions and self-perceptions of women Complexities of people management and leadership Scope, scale and diversity of flexible work arrangements *Identified in 2010 LGMA Management Challenge Pre Challenge Task Summary (Kerry Sefton)
  • 7. What we dont know: Extent to which those barriers apply across the sector: By size of council By remote/rural/regional/urban location
  • 8. About the research: Methodology: Desk research Environmental scanning Qualitative, semi-structured interviews electronic and telephone
  • 9. About the research: Sample: 28 semi-structured interviews with both elected representatives and senior managers/ceos* State: NSW VIC TAS SA WA NT QLD Type: P E P E P E P E P E P E P E Rural: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Remote: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Regional 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Metro: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 *Not all interviews have been finalised yet, so these are interim findings
  • 10. What we found: Corporate Culture and Attitudes: Remote/ Issue Region Urban rural Councils can be a boys club and hard for women to break into Cultural issues around gender equity are not explicitly addressed in policy and programs Lack of organisational awareness of the need for change Poor understanding of the advantages for the organisation which would flow from gender equity The culture of the organisation is at odds with the intention that staff work reasonable hours
  • 11. What we found: Limited communication and awareness of equity issues Remote/ Issue Region Urban rural Need for information on family and leave policies and the process for application Lack of internal communication about policies, reviews, events lead to staff being uninformed Limited community perception of a womans role in Local Government Lack of visible examples of successful senior women in LG leading balanced lifestyles Lack of sector wide business case to support gender equity
  • 12. What we found: Performance and Accounting: Remote/ Issue Region Urban rural Reporting of labour-force gender and occupational segmentation is very limited EEO Plans lack effective measurement, review and public reporting processes Lack of gender sensitive indicators and targets to allow monitoring of gender imbalances within Council No statistics on how many of employees work part-time because they are parents, or have other carer responsibilities. A lack of commitment by municipalities and government to collect and analyse data
  • 13. What we found: Strong perceptions and self-perceptions of women: Issue Remote/ Region Urban rural Women tend not to apply for job , whereas men tend to apply even if all selection criteria are not met Many women underestimate their significant experience in fields outside their workplace Some feel they lack experience for leadership roles, although they possess strong leadership skills Limited number of women in senior management positions as role models There is a belief that successful women leaders women must be competitive and aggressive
  • 14. What we found: Complexities of people management: Issue Remote/ Region Urban rural Councils should be outcomes focused, for part-times to get same level of respect for performance Rural and remote councillors are required to travel long distances to attend work /meetings Most GMs have moved around spent time in different councils. More difficult to do with partner and family Perception that management roles are not just full- time, they are 24/7 Councillors sacrifice career opportunities for Council obligations.
  • 15. What we found: Scope, scale and diversity of family friendly options Issue Remote/ Region Urban rural Maternity leave seen as a "career killer" Organisational reluctance to support staff working from home Flexible working arrangements not supported by senior management Lack of work flexibility in senior roles Lack of consistency in application of family friendly policies and practices
  • 16. Where to from here: Interviews completed and research/discussion paper released in January feedback sought from sector Booklet containing profiles and experiences of respondents released in Feb/March Electronic survey for open participation Paper to make draft recommendations for councils Convene group of CEOs (male and female) to consider draft recommendations and advise on implementation
  • 17. Where to from here: Your thoughts, ideas, suggestions?