‘Flood the party with women’: New initiative to tackle Liberal Party’s women issue

A national initiative aimed at boosting the number of women in the Liberal Party will launch in Adelaide this week.

Dr Anna Finizio the head of Hilma's Network in SA. Picture: Emma Brasier

A new national initiative aimed at boosting the number of women in the Liberal Party has expanded into South Australia, with its first local event to be held in Norwood this week.

Dr Anna Finizio — a lawyer and former federal election candidate and state government ministerial adviser — has been named the South Australian representative for Hilma’s Network.

The network has a mission to create a cultural shift by building a community through curated events targeted at women aged in their thirties to sixties.

Dr Anna Finizio the head of Hilma's Network in SA. Picture: Emma Brasier

“I look forward to playing my part in creating a welcoming community of like-minded individuals, paving the way for greater female representation at all levels of politics,” Dr Finizio said.

Thursday’s sold-out launch event will feature a panel of highly-accomplished South Australian women, including the state’s first female deputy premier, Vickie Chapman, Business SA chair Nikki Govan and Olympian Jess Stenson.

Network founder Charlotte Mortlock said there had been strong interest in Hilma’s Network in South Australia.

“It’s no secret the Liberal Party has a women issue and I believe we need to start at the grassroots level in order to see change at the top,” she said.

“When we talk about female representation, the narrative often goes straight to candidates, but equally important is having that representation during pre-selections and in the base of the membership.

“We need to flood the party with women who want to support and vote for other women to better their political endeavours.”