Toowoomba female councillors call for action on gender inequality as just 27 per cent of council leaders are women

Just a quarter of all leadership roles within the Toowoomba Regional Council are held by women. The issue has sparked a serious discussion among councillors about how to fix it.

Councillors Nancy Sommerfield, Rebecca Vonhoff and Megan O'Hara Sullivan.

Toowoomba’s political leadership has a gender diversity issue that needs to be corrected with policy and systemic change, according to the city’s female councillors.

Councillors Rebecca Vonhoff, Carol Taylor, Melissa Taylor, Nancy Sommerfield and Megan O’Hara Sullivan all voiced their concerns around female representation on a federal, state and local government level.

Speaking on International Women’s Day, Ms Vonhoff sparked the discussion when she pointed out every federal and state MP, the mayor, deputy mayor, the council’s CEO and all permanent general managers were male.

Ann-Marie Johnston is the current acting general manager for finance and business strategy, filling a role that was also previously held by a man.

Data from the TRC has revealed just nine of the 33 leadership roles at council are held by women, a rate of 27 per cent.

“I look forward to the day when we don’t need to have IWD — in the meantime we need more women in politics,” Ms Vonhoff wrote on social media.

“It matters because you get better policy and outcomes if you have different life experiences and thoughts around the table.”

Ms Vonhoff declined to comment further, but her colleagues all agreed there were significant systemic issues to varying degrees.

Ms O’Hara Sullivan said the council should consider introducing gender quotas for its executive leadership team.

“I would be supportive of (quotas for) more women in the executive and other senior positions, because there is (a) bias — unless you force people into doing it, it’s never going to change,” she said.

“Within an organisation, we do need to address that gender issue.”

Cr Nancy Sommerfield.

Ms Sommerfield said while gender diversity remained a major problem within council, she would rather see a job candidate's CV de-identified to help curb unconscious bias.

“I brought up the statistics in (a previous) meeting that we don’t have nearly enough females in leadership positions,” she said.

“I would like to see, when council employs someone, a de-identification of CVs, so you don’t know their gender.

“I don’t want gender quotas, but I do believe there is an unconscious bias when it comes to those things.”

Melissa Taylor echoed the sentiments of Ms Vonhoff’s statement, noting her conditional support of quotas within council and saying she would love to see a woman elected at the upcoming federal election in the seat of Groom.

Melissa Taylor.

“It certainly is an issue, diversity just makes for a more well-rounded and inclusive environment, not just in the boardroom,” she said.

“I was always against quotas but I have actually changed my mind because if you don’t have a diversity of people, you’ll get the same outcomes.

“I agree wholeheartedly with Councillor Vonhoff, I echo her thoughts absolutely.

“It’s extraordinary, these are high-profile positions and they’re all male-dominated.”

Carol Taylor said there was “no doubt” gender inequality existed within Toowoomba’s political institutions, saying young women needed to be encouraged to take part in industries historically dominated by men.

Toowoomba Regional Council councillor Carol Taylor

“The most important thing for someone like me is put your hand down and help other people up, to encourage and mentor young women and men to give them confidence,” she said.

“It’s not really about women either, it’s about capturing that diversity in our community and going forward.

“Our country needs that diversity of decision-making to marry ideas together and it’s starting to happen.”

Asked to respond to Ms Vonhoff’s original post, council CEO Brian Pidgeon said the organisation did not have an affirmative action plan.

TRC CEO Brian Pidgeon. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“Council is well aware of the benefits of a workforce that reflects the composition of our region’s diverse community and TRC values the contributions of all members of the leadership team,” he said.

“Based on 2018 Australian Bureau of Statistics figures for the Toowoomba Region, females held 48 per cent of jobs in the Toowoomba region compared with 52 per cent of jobs held by males.

“In 2018, there were eight women in Toowoomba Regional Council’s 34-member leadership team (23.53 per cent), compared with nine females out of the current 33-member leadership team (27.27 per cent) in 2022.

“Although we are heading in the right direction, further initiatives are being considered in order to achieve a better balance of the proportion of women in senior roles.

“TRC is currently in the process of reviewing all recruitment policies in order to minimise conscious and unconscious bias, which will help ensure that the best applicants are appointed for all organisational vacancies.

“Council does not have a formal affirmative action plan for directing the composition of its workforce.”