NOMINATIONS for Tamworth Regional Council close at midday on Wednesday, and so far the race has thrown up some fresh and familiar faces.
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As at COB on Tuesday, 18 candidates had officially nominated to fill the nine spots on council. There’s just one thing, only two of them are women.
Among the mix of council nominees, there is eight incumbents, two faces from Manilla, one former Tamworth councillor and a range of others looking to bring some change. There’s also three Liberal-endorsed candidates who have announced they’re running.
But in the race there are only two women; sitting councillors Helen Tickle and Juanita Wilson, with Lucy Haslam a late withdrawal.
With Lucy Haslam pulling out late on Tuesday, we could only see a maximum of two female councillors returned. But before we even get there, where are the rest of the female nominees?
Women are breaking through the glass ceiling everyday. They make up half the population, and you only have to look around Tamworth to see successful women everywhere. Just like their male counterparts, they’re shaping our future.
Unless we see a flurry of last minute nominations, it seems very likely women will make up a slim minority of councillors, if they are even elected, with the ever-expanding field.
In Wagga Wagga, one former candidate declared she would boycott the council election because she believes women do not have a “realistic chance” of gaining office, unless they’re in the top spots on running tickets.
According to The Daily Advertiser, Wagga women have started a campaign to ‘overthrow’ the council’s “boys’ club”. Annabel Williams, the executive assistant to a Riverina MP, tendered her resignation so she could have a crack too.
“You can’t wait for someone to approach you because you’re a strong, independent woman, you have to stand up and be counted,” she said.
Councillors, in any shire, should be elected on merit, but the huge disparity between male and female council candidates shouldn’t be ignored. A number of candidates for Tamworth have spoken about the need for better representation for the region’s smaller communities.
But what about better representation for half the region’s community?