Dr Peta Spyrou (Program Director, Pathways to Politics for Women South Australia), ABC News, 20 March 2026
Photo: 2025 South Australian cohort
SA election update via Anthony Green, ABC, 30 March 2026: With counting nearing completion for the South Australian election, election spotters are excited by the prospect of the fourth placed candidate Lou Nicholson winning the Victor Harbor based seat of Finniss from fourth place. The result is not confirmed as the distribution of preferences has only just begun.
Today, 28 of the 69 members of the South Australian state parliament (around 40 per cent) are women. But these headline numbers can obscure deeper inequalities, including representation in senior leadership and key portfolios.
Change in political participation rarely happens through dramatic reform. It tends to occur gradually, as expectations shift and the idea of who can lead expands. Approaching this state election, there are signs such a shift may be underway. Since 2023, South Australia has hosted the Pathways to Politics for Women program at Adelaide Law School. In just three years, early signs of its influence are becoming visible.
Nationally, the program recently marked its ten-year anniversary. Founded at the University of Melbourne in 2016, it now operates in every state and territory through university partnerships. Over the past decade, it has recorded 92 electoral successes across local, state and federal levels. In 2024 alone, 120 alumni ran in elections across Australia, with 49 elected.
No single initiative can transform representation. But these figures point to something important: a growing pipeline of women entering political life with greater preparation, stronger networks and the confidence to put themselves forward.
In South Australia, the speed of these changes is striking. After only three years, seven alumni from recent Pathways to Politics for Women cohorts have announced their candidacy in this weekend’s state election. Several of these South Australian alumni are contesting electorates that analysts expect will be closely watched. Independent councillor Lou Nicholson, who narrowly missed winning Finniss in 2022, is returning to the race. Mayor Simone Bailey is Labor’s candidate in Hammond. In metropolitan Adelaide, candidates such as Merlindie Fardone and Bec Sutton are contesting Liberal-held seats, while Sarah Luscombe, Melanie Searle and Jenn Tranter are running for the Greens in competitive electorates.
The 2026 election will not, on its own, transform women’s representation in parliament. But if current trends continue, it may accelerate a cultural shift already underway. When more women see people like themselves on the ballot paper, the question shifts from “Could I do that?” to “Why not me?” The most important outcome of this election may not be the government it produces, but the leaders it makes possible.
