Scholarships for Women on Regional Boards
15 July 2014 at 11:03 am
Scholarships, worth up to $12,500, are now on offer to women in rural and remote areas to complete a course in governance, in a bid to lift female representation on boards and senior executive positions.
The Australian Institute of Company Directors is offering 30 Rural and Remote scholarships as part of it Board Diversity Scholarship Program, which is now in its third round. It has been funded by a $650,000 Federal Government grant, matched by the Company Directors.
The Rural and Remote Scholarships are the first of three categories of scholarship that will be awarded over the next two years in this round.
The scholarship includes the Company Directors Course to develop their executive or professional director careers, plus an allocation of up to $2000 for travel costs. Recipients will also receive a year’s free membership of Company Directors – taking the total value of the scholarship to up to $12,500.
“We are offering dedicated scholarships for women in remote and rural areas for the first time, as well as scholarships for women working in male-dominated sectors, as we recognise the particular difficulties both these groups may face,” John Colvin, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Company Directors, said.
“More than 3600 women applied for the two rounds of scholarships we offered in 2010 and 2012 and some have achieved great success in finding board and other positions.
“The new scholarships will make it easier for successful businesswomen and community leaders in rural and remote areas to achieve the recognition they deserve.”
Company Directors said since the launch of the scholarship program in 2010, there had been an encouraging improvement in the number of women on boards.
According to real-time statistics compiled by Company Directors, women held 18.2 per cent of positions on S&P/ASX200 boards at May 28, 2014, compared to 8.3 per cent in January 2010.
“More needs to be done but I am confident the practical steps we have taken are the best way to achieve the desired outcome. Our focus is on targeted measures that give women the best opportunity to develop their skills and successfully present their case for appointment,” Colvin said.
Applications close at 5pm (AEST) on Thursday, July 31. To be eligible for this program, applicants must reside outside a main metropolitan city and in a locality with a population of less than 100,000 people.
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