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The Victorian government has launched a country-first program designed to help more women of colour attain their leadership aspirations.
Recently announced by Victorian Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins, the Women of Colour Executive Leadership Program is aimed at supporting culturally diverse women, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, in advancing their careers.
Designed by Women of Colour Australia (WoCA) and the first of its kind in the country, the initiative’s main objective is to address the systemic barriers faced by women that limit female leadership progression, including workplace racial discrimination.
In 2021, Women of Colour Australia released the findings of its Women of Colour in the Australian Workplace survey, which looked at what was needed to improve women’s experiences in workplaces and boardrooms.
The survey of 534 respondents, of which 7 per cent identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, showed that around 57 per cent felt they had faced challenges in the workplace related to their identity as a woman of colour.
Notably, the survey results also showed that the leader of their organisation was a man, not a person of colour. Meanwhile, 25.63 per cent reported that their business leader was a woman and not a person of colour.
Concerningly, just over 2 per cent stated they were the organisation’s leader and 6.58 per cent the leader was a woman of colour.
Findings of the report showed that women named “mentoring”, particularly having access to executive leadership programs, as a key need for future development in their careers, and other suggestions included networking, counselling, and structural change.
To upskill and help women of colour navigate the distinct barriers that they face in advancing their careers, the program will offer workshops, mentoring and coaching over seven months to 20 culturally diverse women, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Under the program, workplaces of the participants will also contribute a one-off $10,000 co-payment to help identify ways they can strengthen diversity in the workplace and be more inclusive.
In a bid to provide comprehensive workplace support, the program will also help participants complete an individual strategic challenge project and improve their board capabilities.
Ms Hutchins encouraged all culturally diverse women from across the state to apply for this Women of Colour Executive Leadership program, which will accept applications until 28 February and is scheduled to kick off in May.
“Diverse women are ready to lead, they are capable and ambitious. This program presents a real opportunity for businesses to do more than just talk about supporting diversity and inclusion, it’s an opportunity to show it,” she stated.
The new initiative is one of the four leadership programs announced by the Labor Government in 2022 to help women gain leadership roles and build more inclusive workplaces, with a total budget allocation of $1 billion.
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