The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) has announced the successful candidates for the second round of the Women's Regional, Rural and Remote Diversity Scholarship program.
The Women's Regional, Rural and Remote Diversity Scholarships are designed to increase access to governance education for emerging and experienced women leaders in regional, rural and remote areas, particularly those facing additional barriers to participation such as women from culturally diverse backgrounds, those living with disability, and First Nations women.
The Women's Regional, Rural and Remote Diversity initiative is conducted with the support of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet's Office for Women (OFW), and since its launch in 2022 it has attracted more than 1300 applicants.
The strong level of interest in the program has highlighted the desire among women leaders in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia, to advance their directorship skills while remaining within their own communities.
The AICD and OFW have awarded nearly 130 scholarships so far, giving recipients the opportunity to participate in the AICD's governance education programs, with full-fee scholarships offered in either the Company Directors Course or the Foundations of Directorship course.
All 54 first-round recipients successfully completed their AICD courses in 2022, and in response to the overwhelming demand, the intake for the second round has been boosted to 74.
Women's Regional, Rural and Remote Diversity Scholarship graduate Muriel Bin Dol AAICD is chair of the Yumba-Meta Housing Association and adviser to the National Indigenous Australians Agency: This scholarship has enabled me to consolidate my understanding of corporate governance and strategy, to ensure Yumba-Meta's continued organisational performance, innovation and long-term value creation.
I grew up in social housing, in a family that lived week to week. I hope to demonstrate it's possible for others with similar lived experiences to contribute to the governance of high-performing organisations, Ms Bin Dol said.
The scholarship also includes an annual AICD membership and Directorship Opportunities subscription.
AICD Managing Director and CEO Mark Rigotti said the program was an important initiative to ensure that living outside metropolitan Australia was not a barrier to women directors being able to access governance education and training opportunities.
"The 'brain drain' in regional, rural and remote parts of the country can pose a real threat to the long-term viability of many towns. We know the significant contribution women make to these communities, and the AICD is proud to work with government to ensure more women can get access to world-class leadership opportunities within their own communities."
The Women's Regional, Rural and Remote Diversity Scholarship program is supported by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's Office for Women under the Women's Leadership and Development Program.
The Women's Regional, Rural and Remote Scholarship program is one of the ways the AICD is helping to forge new pathways to the boardroom for a diversity of Australian leaders.
Download the media release here.
Visit the webpage for a full list of scholarship recipients.
