Photo: 2024 University of Melbourne cohort with special guests the Hon Jaala Pulford, Dr Samantha Ratnam MP and Margaret Fitzherbert
The ninth Victorian Pathways to Politics for Women program commenced at the University of Melbourne this week, welcoming 30 outstanding women with diverse political, professional and lived experiences to the 2024 cohort.
In their first day, participants received advice from successful alums on how to make the most of the program, gained insights from experienced politicians, and began to formulate their own respective political visions.
We were also honoured to welcome back 2023 alum Sue-Anne Hunter (Deputy Chair, Yoorrook Justice Commission) to welcome us to Country.
Making the most of the program
Five successful alums from the Victorian program made their return for our Making the most of the program panel: Pamela Anderson (CEO of Emily’s List Australia), Cr Jenna Davey-Burns (Mayor, City of Kingston), Dr Sarah Mansfield MP (MLC for Western Victoria), Faiza Nouman (local government candidate for Bayside) and Georgie Purcell MP (MLC for Northern Victoria).
Our panel shared how they leveraged their experiences of the program, including mentoring opportunities and other post-program support, and how the Pathways to Politics community continues to uplift them and provide support in their political careers.
Facilitated by Stacey Ong, our alums then assisted participants to workshop and articulate their own political visions.
Articulating your political vision:
What are your community’s and constituent’s needs? How do your values connect with your constituent’s needs into your political vision? How do you articulate your values to voters, community and constituents?
Women leading collaboratively
The day concluded with a powerful discussion on Women Leading Collaboratively featuring experienced parliamentarians, each of whom are all current or former members of the Victorian Legislative Council: Dr Samantha Ratnam MP (Pathways to Politics Advisory committee member, MLC for Northern Metropolitan and former Mayor of Merri-bek), the Hon Jaala Pulford (Advisory Committee member and former Labor MLC for Western Victoria), and Margaret Fitzherbert (CEO of the Children’s Cancer Foundation and former MLC for Southern Metropolitan).
This panel was particularly significant as the Victorian Legislative Council now boasts a female majority for the first time in its history, including three program alums.
Drawing on a recent report by the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London, Women Political Leaders: The Impact of Gender on Democracy, the panellists discussed how women can bring collaborative and inclusive leadership styles to political environments that are often marked by division and rivalry. They reflected on their own experiences in parliament and local government, expressing optimism for the future of Australian politics.
This dynamic start sets the stage for a program of fruitful collaboration, learning, and mutual respect across political lines!
