Page 712 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 19 March 2019
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Leads Diploma of Leadership and Management, aimed at women from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds and women with disability.
The hard work in creating more diversity and balance on boards and committees is paying off. As of November 2018, 48 per cent of positions on ACT government boards and committees were held by women, which represents a three per cent increase on the 45 per cent achieved in October 2017. This is testament to the continued commitment of many people across the ACT government and the Canberra community to make progress in this important area.
The return to work grants continued to make a difference this year, supporting women who have been out of the paid workforce to re-enter by providing individual grants of up to $1,000. Practical training and coaching was provided for women through the SPARK women’s return to work program. In 2018 this program was offered to local women across the ACT, with workshops held in Canberra’s north and south.
The ACT government are encouraging and supporting more women to undertake roles in traditionally male-dominated areas, such as driving buses and working in our parks, through come and try days and open days. Work continues towards the fifty-fifty recruitment target in ACT Fire & Rescue, with a current rate of 22 per cent women as at 2018.
This year women represented 40 per cent of applicants for custodial positions in ACT Corrective Services, an increase of 10 per cent on last year and 18 per cent since 2014. The State Emergency Services chief officer and general manager of custodial operations roles are currently being undertaken by women. The government is also supporting women in traditionally male-dominated jobs across ACT businesses, with over $200,000 provided through the women in trades grants program, and with a further $600,000 announced in November 2018.
This government is also continuing to improve women’s participation in sport by supporting the presence of elite female teams in Canberra through elite funding agreements. This support has ensured that elite domestic female sport is regularly played in the ACT, showcasing the abilities of female athletes and ensuring that elite role models are available in the community. A women in sport forum was held in August 2018 featuring a range of high profile female athletes and administrators to discuss future issues for the continued development of women in sport.
This is on top of the work undertaken with local triennially funded sporting organisations to boost female leadership on their boards to 40 per cent by 2020. This work continues and the government remains positive about the change that this shifting dynamic will have on many aspects of the sporting arena, including respectful relationships and participation for growth for women.
Of course, it is essential that people feel safe and are safe in their homes and in their community. It is so important that everyone is able to participate fully in the way they want to and to access the services they need as they go about their lives. In 2018 the ACT government continued to conduct women’s safety audits at ACT government events and promote the use of the audit tool more broadly in the ACT.
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