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ARC Grants $227,010 Funding to Research Women’s Trajectories in Local Government
The Victorian Local Governance Association is proud to be partnering with the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University to undertake a new research project, ‘Women in Local Government: Understanding Their Political Trajectories’.
Led by Associate Professor Leah Ruppanner (University of Melbourne), Associate Professor Andrea Carson (La Trobe University) and Dr Gosia Mikolajczak (University of Melbourne), this research will investigate the chronic under representation of women in Australian politics through a local government lens.
The Australian Research Council (ARC) has awarded $227,010 to support the project through its ARC Linkage Project grants program.
The research expects to generate new knowledge about barriers to female political representation, their political performance and pathways to higher tiers of elected office. By following men and women councillors across an election cycle, the research will compare and measure women's experiences of local politics to develop a new framework to map and address obstacles preventing political equity.
Quotes attributable to Kathryn Arndt, VLGA Chief Executive Officer:
“This research is the first of its kind in Australia. To achieve gender parity in local government representation, we need initiatives and responses that are driven by data and qualitative research.”
“It will provide invaluable insights into women’s experiences of local government in Victoria and give us a roadmap for achieving gender equity in elected representative roles. This should provide significant public benefits by advancing female participation across all levels of government”
ENDS:
Media Contact: Liddy Clark 0403 542 411
