But for this to occur, women need a range of skills and knowledge and at the moment there is no coordinated approach in our community that enables this to occur. Our mission is to educate, equip and empower local women to engage in and with all levels of government in a variety of roles. We see this being achieved in three key ways.
3.1 Creating a local coalition of women with a focus on governm
ent participation and engagement
It is important to bring women with a common purpose together to promote network development, sharing ideas and
3.2 An education program designed to foster the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully interact with government bodies and other related parties (such as media). The two arms of this program will involve a school component as well as a wider community component. The education program will consist of a series of workshops focused on the needs of women who want to engage with government at all levels. Topics could include public speaking and presentation skills, tender writing, the Australian government system, the election process, media skills, marketing. The schools program will involve similar workshops targeted at young women in Years 10, 11 and 12. The purpose of this program is to provide relevant and locally-based in-school resources which could be used in conjunction with various curriculum areas (such as Geography, History and Commerce) and provide a pathway for young women to develop leadership skills, become involved in the Coalition, engage with the proposed Youth Council and recognise career opportunities in government-related roles.
3.3 A mentor program designed to provide access to the knowledge, skills and experience of women who have successfully served in government at various levels. Mentoring is about the sharing of experience, wisdom, networks, knowledge and know-how. It is a mutually beneficial relationship which involves a more experienced person helping a less experienced person to achieve their goals. Mentoring can occur on an informal basis, but research consistently emphasises that formal programs and structures often achieve the greatest outcomes. Mentoring has been used very successfully in the for-profit business world, and we see it being an essential component in achieving the Women’s Leadership Coalition’s vision. There are some amazing and inspiring women living in and around Wagga who have achieved great success for themselves, their organisations and their communities. We plan to provide a platform for these women to share their knowledge, skills and experiences with others, potentially in both one-on-one and small group mentoring arrangements, as well as through the education workshops. We intend to target women of all ages and acting in a range of capacities, who wish to be engaged with government as elected representatives, lobbyists, activists, community group members, informed citizens and non-profit business leaders. Having identified a need in our local community, and developed an overarching strategy to address this need, we are passionate and driven to make this a reality. The next steps will involve:
(i) Inviting key women to participate in a steering committee to drive the development of the Coalition
(ii) Obtaining support and commitment from key community members for the program
(iii) Seeking advice on creating an incorporated entity as a vehicle for the Coalition and associated programs
(iv) Securing funding of the program and premises to conduct meetings and workshops
(v) Engaging with potential mentors to participate in the program
(vi) Developing workshop and mentor program materials and resources
(vii) Networking with existing community organisations and programs
