• 800 women supported to run for state and national parliaments
•  385 eventually elected

By Moses Magadza

WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA -Australian women’s political leadership advocate Leonie Morgan AM, has urged countries in Southern Africa to invest in mentorship, financial support, training and women’s networks to accelerate female political participation and leadership.

In an exclusive interview, Morgan said sustainable progress in women’s political representation depends not only on funding, but also on structured mentoring systems and institutional backing that encourage women to contest elections and remain active in public leadership.

Morgan, who co-founded EMILY’s List Australia in 1995, has spent more than three decades supporting women candidates across Australia and parts of the Asia-Pacific region. Through her work, she has helped approximately 800 women run for state and national parliaments, with 385 eventually elected.

She said her passion for women’s leadership was inspired by the late Joan Kirner, the first female Premier of the Australian state of Victoria, whom she described as a mentor and role model.

“Joan inspired me to focus on getting more women into politics,” Morgan said and added that Kirner demonstrated “how important it was to have women who supported other women in positions of power.”

Morgan recalled a defining moment after a 1992 election in Australia when she visited Parliament and realised that very few women remained in political office after a change of government.

“I realised then that something had to change and that women needed support and institutional backing to increase their numbers,” she said.

This experience motivated her to establish EMILY’s List Australia after learning about the work of the original EMILY’s List in the United States. She noted that convincing people to support the initiative took time because “change was slow.”

The organisation supported its first eight candidates during the 1995 national election in Australia, and all eight were elected.

Morgan stressed that access to even modest campaign funding can significantly improve a woman candidate’s chances of electoral success.

“Having access to a relatively small amount of money to purchase campaign materials such as posters, pamphlets and t-shirts makes a big difference,” she said.

She explained that the term EMILY stands for “Early Money Is Like Yeast – it helps the campaign rise,” and noted that early financial support enabled candidates to secure critical campaign resources.

Beyond financing, Morgan repeatedly emphasised the importance of mentorship in empowering aspiring women politicians.

“I firmly believe that the support of a mentor makes a huge difference,” she said.

Under the EMILY’s List mentoring model, candidates are paired with experienced women parliamentarians or campaigners who guide them throughout election campaigns and often continue supporting them after they enter Parliament.

“Our candidates say this is the most important support EMILY’s List provides,” Morgan said.

She observed that political networks often remain male-dominated, making it difficult for women to break into positions of influence.

“The political networks are often exclusive to men,” she said, adding that introducing women into these spaces changes existing political dynamics.

Morgan encouraged organisations in Southern Africa to view resources more broadly than just money.

“Resources are not just financial,” she said and stressed the importance of training, campaign mentoring, supportive networks and practical campaign skills such as “continuous campaigning” and learning how to “make the ask”.

She said collaboration between civil society organisations, parliaments and international institutions is critical to strengthening women’s leadership.

“These partnerships are crucial to get women elected or women into leadership,” she said.

Morgan also called on parliaments in the SADC region to take deliberate and measurable action to improve women’s political representation.

“Start now, take stock – look at the numbers, set targets, allocate resources, act as role models, encourage women to run well before an election,” she advised.

She further recommended establishing formal mentoring programmes, beginning on a small scale before expanding them gradually.

“Appoint a mentoring coordinator. Develop a how-to guide so participants know what to expect,” she said.

Morgan underlined the importance of storytelling and knowledge sharing in inspiring future women leaders, saying experienced women leaders who have “been there and done that” are best placed to mentor younger generations.

“I now take it as my mission in life to pass on my learnings and reflections to young and emerging leaders, through mentorship,” she said.

Addressing young women aspiring to leadership roles, Morgan encouraged them to persevere even after setbacks.

“Give it a try. Put your hand up to run for election or for that leadership position,” she said.

“And if you aren’t successful, reflect on what worked and what could have been done better and try again.”

She also advised women candidates to build strong support systems around them.

“Surround yourself with a ‘girl gang.’ These are women who you trust and who will help you every step of the way,” Morgan said.

“You can’t do these things by yourself. And when women support women, women win.”

Morgan said true leadership in a world striving for gender equality should be grounded in “kindness and empathy coupled with power and a passion to make a difference.”

Reflecting on the impact of increased female representation in politics, she noted that more women in Parliament had contributed to stronger focus on issues affecting women and girls, including family violence prevention, healthcare and financial security.

“There have been major changes in legislation, policies and programs that impact the lives of women and girls,” she said.

Morgan expressed optimism about the future of women’s leadership globally, saying younger generations are increasingly determined to improve the world.

“So many young women care deeply about the state of the world and what can be done to improve things,” she said.

On the sidelines of Women Deliver 2026 in Australia, SADC Parliamentary Forum Secretary General Ms Boemo Sekgoma and Morgan met and explored shared priorities around strengthening women’s representation in politics through mentorship, networking, training and institutional reform.

In an interview, the SG said she found resonance in Morgan’s work given the Forum’s longstanding commitment to gender equality, women’s political participation and inclusive leadership across the Southern African region.

She said the SADC PF has over the years promoted women’s leadership through legislative advocacy, capacity-building and political reforms championed by its Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus.

“We have consistently sought to institutionalise gender equity within our own structures. Under the Forum’s gender policy, positions of authority and leadership – including the presidency of the Forum and the chairpersonship of Standing Committees – are distributed fairly between men and women as part of efforts to model inclusive leadership within regional parliamentary governance,” Ms Sekgoma said.

The SG said she saw Morgan’s experience through EMILY’s List Australia as particularly relevant to ongoing efforts in Southern Africa to increase the number of women in decision-making positions.

She said there was scope for collaboration in various areas and noted that Morgan’s emphasis on early support, practical campaign skills and strong women’s networks resonated with the Forum’s ongoing advocacy for creating enabling environments in which women can participate meaningfully in political and parliamentary processes.

The Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus of the SADC PF has for years played a vital role in lobbying for increased participation of women in politics and leadership, while also championing gender-responsive laws and policies in SADC Member States.

-Moses Magadza, PhD, is the Media and Communications Manager at the SADC Parliamentary Forum.