Executive Summary
Introduction
This report identifies, evaluates and provides detailed information on rural women’s current participation in leadership programs and how much they attribute leadership programs to gaining their current leadership position.

Background
Despite ten years of investment in leadership programs, awards and scholarships for rural women by Commonwealth and state governments, there is currently little evidence that suggests leadership programs are assisting rural women to gain leadership positions. This study addresses the need to evaluate the link between leadership programs and leadership positions and to identify factors outside of current programs that would assist in increasing women’s involvement in leadership across rural Australia.

For too long the focus has been on equipping women with leadership knowledge and skills with little emphasis on identifying the demand for this talent and supporting, mentoring and networking to achieve the match between talent supply and demand. It could be argued that a supply of women leaders has been created with little attention to the demand for this talent pool.

Aims and objectives
The aims of this research were to:

• List participation rates of women in leadership development programs
• Assess the link between leadership programs and the gaining of leadership positions
• Determine characteristics of effective leadership programs that contribute to increased involvement by women in rural industries
• Comment on factors outside of leadership development programs that could assist increased women's involvement and
• Report on research outcomes.

Who is the report targeted at?
Policy makers, training providers, advocates of rural women, researchers, rural women and rural organisations, bodies and boards are the key beneficiaries of this research.

Methodology
Women’s leadership survey
202 women in current leadership positions from across Australia provided input to this research via online survey responses. This research occurred between February and April 2006. Invitations to complete this survey were sent to 100 women who held leadership positions in Australia’s national and state peak agricultural and / or related organisations.

Leadership development programs

Leadership programs data was collected between December 2005 and February 2006. It was gathered primarily from the web. Training providers were contacted regarding participation rates of rural women.

Results / key findings
Key results and findings of this research are that:

• Mentors, role models and family support were identified as the key factor that influences leadership development of rural women.
• As such, the key initiative identified by rural women that would support rural women’s leadership development and involvement is access to mentoring.
• Individuals and other women were identified as being the key influencers of rural women regarding leadership development.
• Key barriers to rural women’s leadership development were identified as isolation, long distance and travel, time constraints and issues, being a woman and lack of confidence and belief in self.
• Participation of women in mixed gender leadership programs ranged between 15% - 60% with most programs having female participation of between 25% - 35%. Generally, women are outnumbered by men in leadership programs 3:1.
• The role of the leadership program facilitator determines the success of the program.
• Follow up (post leadership program participation) was identified as the single most important element missing from almost all leadership programs identified in this research.
• The most useful leadership program content areas for rural women were self awareness, self esteem, personality types, confidence building and leadership styles.
• 69% of rural women support mixed gender leadership programs rather than women only.
• Of the 130 rural women who had completed leadership programs, 53% indicated that the leadership program had helped little or not at all in gaining their current leadership positions.
• A key factor for training providers to take into account when designing leadership programs is using flexible delivery approaches to reduce the level of face to face participation required of women undertaking leadership programs.

Implications for stakeholders
The key implication for stakeholders is to see beyond leadership programs as the solution to rural women’s leadership development and to consider how better to support, mentor and network the existing leadership talent pool of rural women to gain leadership positions. And importantly, to factor in cost and time efficient ways for women to access leadership information and to work with existing leadership bodies, boards and organisations to increase the inclusion of women, in what has traditionally been a male dominated area.

Recommendations

• The key solution from this research is the establishment of online leadership programs as a way to provide training and mentoring to rural women. Potential funders of this include state and federal agencies, regional councils and industry groups.

Other recommendations include:

• Development of a “How to Kit” for rural leadership groups and agricultural boards to assess their current effectiveness, opportunities for improvement and to develop leadership succession plans through identification and nurturing of women (and men and young people) into leadership positions. Potential funders include state and federal agencies, regional councils and industry groups, and industry groups could be invited to tender to implement the kit in their industries. One outcome from implementing the “How to Kit” could be a national leadership audit and development of leadership succession action plans for peak agricultural and rural organisations.
• Development of a 24 month leadership mentoring program to support emerging leaders across rural Australia gain leadership positions or positions of influence. This program must be cost and time efficient, accessible to all regardless of where they live and work and be delivered using the latest in technology, web based learning and teleconferencing activity. Ideally, criteria would be developed to ensure leadership readiness and mentoring and virtual networking would be a cornerstone of the program.

Produce a handbook / self access guide for leaders in rural and regional Australia show-casing male and female leadership stories as well as pathways to leadership, tips and tools to support leadership development and key contacts and researched websites. This publication should be promoted across Australia as a resource for those keen to develop their leadership skills.

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Last updated: April 2008
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http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/HCC/07-168sum.htm