Professional development training presented by expert campaigners, candidates, MPs and party leaders.

All sessions will be held 1-5pm each day at the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre, 210 Lonsdale St, Melbourne.

For EMILY’s List Australia and ALP members: $360 per session or all 3 sessions for 15% off at $920

Book online at: trybooking.com/BHVOF

Saturday 29th February 2020

Level 1: So you want to be a politician? (Local, state & federal)

An introductory workshop that will include topics such as:

▪ How to make the decision to run

▪ Understanding the preselection process of the ALP

▪ Telling your story

▪ Experiences of successful candidates

Presented by:

▪ Maree Overall, CEO of EMILY’s List Australia

Maree is the CEO of EMILY’s List Australia, a financial and political support network for Labor women candidates.  With a background in science and a PhD in Biochemistry, Maree had a 7-year post-doctoral career in the university sector that also involved public and political advocacy for medical research. Upon leaving academia she forged a path in the small business of conference management mainly for the association industry. Before taking on the CEO role at ELA, Maree was Senior Advisor to Minister Fiona Richardson during the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence. Her main responsibility was for the development and implementation of the Strategy for the Prevention of Family Violence and All Forms of Violence Against Women and for key aspects relating to women's leadership, economic security, STEMM and health and well-being in preparation of Victoria's first Gender Equality Strategy.  A member of ELA since 1997, a past ALP local branch president and feminist activist, Maree has vast campaigning experience.

▪ Hutch Hussein, Immediate Past President of Victorian Labor

Experienced Senior Manager with interest in ethical leadership, diversity and inclusion, government and NGO sector experience, particularly working with multicultural communities, undertaking refugee policy advocacy and facilitating cross cultural training. Over nearly 20 years, developed strong skills in managing teams, policy advocacy, tender writing, stakeholder relationship management, project management and media relations. Bring experience of how government works from my time as a Ministerial Adviser in the Education and Women's Affairs Portfolios. Bring experience of how people work from my time as a Social Worker and managing teams. I enjoy mentoring the next generation of leaders and empowering all to onboard CALD employees and/or engage multicultural communities effectively. Hutch is a former National Co-Convenor of EMILY’s List Australia and was mentored by Joan Kirner AO.  She is the immediate past president of Victorian Lanbor and has years of experience across all activities of the ALP.

▪ Meghan Hopper, former Mayor of Moreland

Meghan is a policy, media and campaigns professional with extensive experience in social change and women's representation, equity and safety. She is currently employed at Moonee Valley City Council as Senior Coordinator, Governance and Advocacy. Meghan is completing a PhD part-time at Monash University, researching mainstream print media representations of female candidates for Australian federal office between 1984 and 2010. She is an experienced Board Director and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In 2018, she was appointed by the Minister to the Queen Victoria Women's Centre Trust, where she is also Chair of Finance, Audit and Governance Committee; she previously spent four years as an elected representative on Moreland City Council, one year as Mayor (during which time she served on the Minister for Local Government's Mayoral Advisory Committee), 3.5 years in an appointed role on the Council of Monash University, 4 years on the Board of CERES Environment Park, 3.5 years as Co-Convenor of the National Labor Women's Network and 2 years on the executive of the Essendon Football Club's Women's Network. In 2016 Meghan was a Women's Agenda Award Finalist in the category of Emerging Leader - Government for her work to improve women's safety in Moreland. 

Saturday 21st March 2020

Level 2: Time to Campaign

▪ Campaign planning

▪ Building a team

▪ Fundraising

▪ Social media management

Presented by:

▪ Mary-Anne Thomas, Member for Macedon

▪ Maree Overall, CEO of EMILY’s List Australia

▪ Leonie Morgan AM, founding member of EMILY's List Australia and International Women's Development Agency mentor

...and more speakers to be announced

Saturday 18th April 1-5pm

Level 3: Winning the Women's Vote

▪ Women to women campaigning

▪ Conversation skills

▪ Finding your voice

▪ Messaging and cutting through

Presented by:

▪ Liddy Clark, former Member for Clayfield and former QLD Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy

▪ Maree Overall, CEO of EMILY’s List Australia

...and more speakers to be announced