PROJECT BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Project Title / Promoting of CALD Women’s Participation on Boards and in Decision-Making Positions Project
Project Sponsor / Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA)
Project Funding / This study has been funded by the Office for Women, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Project Managers / Voula Messimeri- Kianidis, Honorary President FECCA
Eugenia Grammatikakis, Senior Deputy Chair FECCA
Project Researchers / Maria Dimopoulos
Georgia Prattis
MyriaD Consultants Pty Ltd

About the Project

The Australian Government’s Gender Balance on Australian Government Boards report for 2011–2012 demonstrated that 38.4 per cent of participants on Australian Government Boards were women. This is up from 35.3 per cent in 2011, demonstrating sound progress towards the 40 per cent gender balance target. While welcoming this news of increased female participation on Boards, FECCA is aware anecdotally from its own networks that participation of CALD women on Boards and in decision-making positions is much lower, especially in the public sector.

The Promoting of CALD Women’s Participation on Boards and in Decision-Making Positions Project was formally launched by the Minister for the Status of Women, the Hon Julie Collins MP, in December 2012.

The Promoting of CALD Women’s Participation on Boards and in Decision-Making Positions Project aims to further the Government’s commitment to increase the representation of women on Government Boards through its target of at least 40 per cent women by 2015. The generation of ideas and discussion with CALD women and private, public and NGO sector stakeholders will assist the project to answer the following questions:

·  What are the opportunities and challenges shaping the participation of CALD women in leadership and on boards and decision-making bodies?

·  What interventions are needed to improve representation?

It is expected that the project will improve the understanding of the opportunities and challenges posed around the participation of CALD women in leadership and on Boards and decision-making bodies, and establish the scope for maximising the delivery of such opportunities whilst identifying ways to reduce or eliminate the challenges.

The Australian Government is committed to utilising the findings of this important project once completed in order to implement initiatives and policies to improve CALD women’s participation on boards. This will undoubtedly contribute to maximising the use of their diverse capabilities for the benefit of all Australians, whilst simultaneously helping to achieve greater equity for this significant proportion of the Australian population.

Stakeholder consultations are a key component of this project and will involve contributions through surveys, interviews, case studies, focus groups and written submissions.

Further information about the project is available via the following contacts:

Role / Contact / Contact details
Project Managers / Voula Messimeri-Kianidis
Honorary President FECCA / P: 0414 532 529
E:
Eugenia Grammatikakis
Senior Deputy Chair FECCA / P: 0448 701 850
Project Researchers / Maria Dimopoulos
MyriaD Consultants / P: 03 9315 0902
E:
Georgia Prattis
MyriaD Consultants / P: 03 9315 0902
E:
FECCA Secretariat / Janice Webster
Senior Policy Officer / P: (02) 9386 9477
E:
W: www.fecca.org.au