By Matthew Sims
Cranbourne’s Kanu Aggarwal is passionate about tackling discrimination issues relating to racial profiling, unfair treatment towards minorities, hate crimes and bullying.
The 2022 Casey Citizen of the Year award recipient is among 65 women from the 32 Victorian council areas with the lowest female representation taking part in the 12-month Women Leading Locally (WLL) Fellowship program.
Now in its second year, the WLL fellowship was established in collaboration with the State Government, Women for Elections and the Institute for Community Directors (ICDA), with the aim to achieve gender parity within Victorian councils by 2025.
Participants are engaging in campaigning, leadership and governance workshops to equip them with the skills to run for local government.
On completion of the program, participants will be awarded a ‘Women Leading Locally – Community Leader Fellowship’, a new designation accredited by ICDA.
Those who complete the eight compulsory fellowship units will also receive an ICDA ‘Certificate in Community Leadership and Governance (Local Government)’.
Mrs Aggarwal said the fact that Casey had no elected councillors following the sacking of the council in 2020 inspired her to step up to create an avenue for culturally diverse and female voices.
“As a migrant and culturally diverse woman, this country welcomed me and gave me so much and serving to the local community is a way to give back to the community and country,” she said.
“This program is meant to polish the skills and expertise of women leaders so that they can use their voice to represent and empower others to take action and make a difference.
“As a woman, it involves being a strong advocate for women’s rights and interests, and actively working to create opportunities for women to participate in leadership roles and decision-making processes.”
Victoria set a national record for female representation in the 2020 local government elections, with women making up 43.8 per cent of elected councillors, with the WLL fellowship program aiming to increase female representation.
Mrs Aggarwal said Casey needs more voices to advocate for its needs.
“A lack of representation can lead to decisions that do not accurately reflect the needs and aspirations of the entire community,” she said.
“It emphasizes the necessity of creating avenues for diverse voices, including those of women and other marginalized groups, to be actively involved in shaping the policies and direction of their localities.
“At the moment, I would say that Casey council needs their representatives in the local government to establish the glory of democracy.”
As a teacher, Mrs Aggarwal meets many parents who are seeking guidance during uncertain times and noticing an issue with bullying in schools, she took a stance and helped develop a WhatsApp group for early-years’ intervention for young parents.
“As a teacher and humanitarian, I am a firm supporter of anti-discrimination policies and always vocal about issues relating to racial profiling, unfair treatment towards minorities, hate crimes and bullying,” she said.
“As a governing council member at a local school, I took bullying head-on by communicating with the school the and echoing my voice, sentiments and support against bullying.
“I demonstrated this by selflessly providing relentless hope, guidance and advice to children and their parents in a rather difficult and uncertain situation after the onset of the pandemic, when the education system failed to provide certainty.”
Mrs Aggarwal said she was yet to decide whether she would contest a seat in next year’s elections but would continue to remain actively involved in the community.
“Indeed, to fortify the democracy and uphold the council’s integrity, it is imperative that Casey Council embraces equitable representation of the entire community,” she said.
“This entails a diverse and inclusive council composition that encompasses women, minorities, the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) community, as well as LGBTQI individuals.
“Such comprehensive representation ensures a holistic and fair decision-making process that truly reflects the collective aspirations and needs of our diverse citizenry.”
Mrs Aggarwal said she is an example of how to rediscover one’s potential.
“I am Australian citizen who migrated to Australia in 2010 with my husband with two suitcases and bundle of qualifications which had zero value at that time,” she said.
“Despite these challenges, I chose to take matters into my own hands and create new opportunities for myself by exploring new avenues and networking with others in my field.
“I want to demonstrate to the community that does not matter what life serves you, you have to get up, roll up your sleeves and take action.”
Local Government Minister Melissa Horne said the WLL program has been transformative for its participants.
“It’s wonderful to see women emerging from the program ready to campaign in the local government elections next year,” she said.
“I look forward to seeing graduates seeking and winning leadership positions in their communities.”
The WLL fellowship program is slated to conclude in April 2024.
For more information on the program, visit www.localgovernment.vic.gov.au/our-programs/gender-equity/womens-leadership-program.
