Women, here's your chance to step up as not-for-profit leaders

Posted on 29 Oct 2021

The Institute of Community Directors is doing its bit to boost women in leadership, rolling out a FREE national program to provide governance training and networks targeting rural, regional and marginalised communities.

The Growing Gender Equity Through Governance program has the support of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Office for Women, with face-to-face training in key regional locations alongside online training for every state and territory.

The first session has been hosted in Victoria this month, with other areas to follow over the coming 18 months.

Kathy Richardson
Kathy Richardson

The program is designed to encourage more women into roles as community directors, including as chair, and for them to consider further training.

As well as a two-hour webinar, participants will receive ongoing professional and peer support, and access to further ICDA resources.

Our Community executive director Kathy Richardson said the project would further ICDA's mission for better governance in the NFP sector, and to increase the diversity of leadership.

"While women might dominate the not-for-profit sectors many boards - doing much of the hard work for no pay and no glory - they're harder to find further up the ladder," Ms Richardson said.

"The lack of women in leadership roles is not because of a lack of women who can perform those roles. The issue is boards are not making space for them to step in and step up. This is an attitudinal problem. And it’s a problem that permeates society at every level.

"That’s why ICDA is focusing on programs that give women the confidence to step into higher leadership roles, including this federally funded national program".

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