Survey Report - Bullying, Harassment and Intimidation in NSW Local Government

In 2023, ALGWA NSW initiated a confidential survey of women councillors regarding their experiences of bullying, harassment, including sexual harassment, and intimidation within NSW Local Government.

We are now sharing the Survey Report, along with an Infographic Summary of results. A copy of the survey can be found in Appendix 1 of the Survey Report.

ALGWA Survey Report

ALGWA Infographic Survey Results 1 page summary

The survey has shown that a large proportion of women councillors who answered the survey are experiencing mental and physical health impacts from bullying and harassment. This is extremely concerning. If this is you, please know that you are not alone and that in 2024 ALGWA NSW is conducting research to develop effective strategies of collective action to make effective structural change.

A new research project to improve safety and inclusion in the Local Government sector.

We are excited to announce a new research project titled 'Experiences of Women in Local Government', in which ALGWA will partner with researchers from Western Sydney University, the University of Sydney, and Australian National University.

Anecdotally, we know that many women are told that the way they are treated is simply part of the cut and thrust of politics, and that they simply need to "suck it up". However, there is evidence that women are often treated appallingly, simply because they are women, and that treatment becomes worse when it intersects with cultural, economic, racial and ability differences. We want to know how this manifests in the local government sector, and more importantly, what practical changes may be effective in mitigating abusive behaviours to improve safety and inclusion in the local government sector.