Applications are open!

Applications are now open for the 2025-2027 Young Women’s Council – see the rest of this page for details including eligbility requirements, commitments and benefits, or if you’re ready to go then fill in the form at the link below.

What is the Young Women’s Council?

The Young Women’s Council is an advisory body to YWCA Australia – they provide their input and expertise when it comes to YWCA Australia’s advocacy. The purpose of the Young Women’s Council is to have young women and gender diverse people’s experience and ideas inform YWCA’s work.

YWCA Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation working towards a future where young women, women and gender diverse people experience greater safety, security and wellbeing in their homes and communities.

This means that we need to ensure that our advocacy is informed by the voices of those who are both most impacted by and passionate about our work. This is the role of the Young Women’s Council, to work with us while we seek to make positive change in the lives of women and gender diverse people experiencing housing instability and homelessness.

What would I have to do with the Young Women’s Council?

When joining the Young Women’s Council, you will be part of a remarkable group contributing to the organisation’s advocacy campaigns, strategic directions and policy outputs.

Membership of the YWC offers the opportunity to gain new skills and networks and be part of the global YWCA movement of passionate young people. You’ll represent the Council for a period of two years with 8 other young women and gender-diverse people aged 18 – 30 years old from all around Australia.

Who should apply for the Young Women’s Council?

This is an opportunity for young women and gender diverse / non-binary people who are passionate about advocating for gender equality and housing security.

Member Attributes

You should apply for this if:

• You are a young woman (cisgender or transgender woman) or gender-diverse person. It is important to YWCA Australia that the YWC represents the voices of both young women and gender diverse people.
• You are between 18 – 30 years old at the time you commence on 1 July 2025.
• You are based anywhere in Australia – from urban to remote.
• You are a member of YWCA Australia. Haven’t joined yet? Click on this link to join.
  • When applying, we encourage you to tick the box to also join our Digital Activist Community – this is where a lot of the campaigns you will be engaged in will be hosted for young women and gender-diverse people!
• You are passionate about advocating for gender equality and housing security for women, gender diverse people and their families in Australia.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

There is no specific experience required to be a member of the YWC. You do not need a formal qualification or work experience to apply. This is an opportunity to elevate the voices of young women and gender diverse people.

It is important that you have a passion for a future where young women, women and gender-diverse people experience greater safety, security and wellbeing in their homes and communities. You might have work experience or studied this area, or you might want to build your skills, knowledge and experience through advocating with YWCA. In addition to passion, it is important that you can commit to the time requirements of the Council (see the Position Description linked below for more information).

YWCA recognises the importance of voices with lived experience. If you are a person with lived experience, there will be no obligation to share details of your experiences. However, if members with lived experience wish to utilise their lived experience to inform YWCA’s advocacy for change, you will be supported to do so. Diversity of voices is also a priority for us, and we highly encourage you to apply if you identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person, living with a disability, coming from a cuturally or linguistically diverse (CALD) background, or as a member of the LGBTQIA+SB community.

It’s important to remember that research shows that men apply for a position when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, but women apply only if they meet 100% of them. If you feel like you have something to offer the YWC, then we encourage you to apply today.

Why should I apply?

There are a few benefits to being a part of the Young Women’s Council:

• Building connections with a group of like-minded young women and gender-diverse people who are equally passionate about creating change.
• An annual opportunity to travel to Sydney for a two-day Young Women’s Council session which will happen twice during your term. Your travel, accommodation and food expenses will all be covered by YWCA Australia for these trips.
• Building your skills in advocacy and government relations with the support of YWCA Australia’s Advocacy and External Affairs team.
• Opportunities to represent YWCA and to build your skills in using your experiences as young women and gender-diverse people to create real-world change.
• Opportunities to contribute to YWCA’s Digital Activist Community, campaigns and advocacy and policy influence.
• Two Young Women’s Council End of Financial Year Reports published on the YWCA Australia website which showcase your campaigns, advocacy and volunteering contributions.

What is the time commitment?

This is a volunteer opportunity, but the cost of travel will be covered by YWCA.

The Young Women’s Council will largely meet online – so you’ll need regular access to the internet and a device capable of connecting to virtual meetings. In terms of travel, there is one in-person meeting each year that takes place in Sydney over two years where you connect with your YWC members in-person and the YWCA Advocacy team. YWCA will cover the costs of travel and accommodation for this meeting.

The Young Women’s Council is expected to meet quarterly and meetings will be scheduled for outside of typical working hours. We also do whatever we can to make it work for other time zones – this way it shouldn’t interfere with prior commitments, like work or school.

How do I apply and what happens next?

First – a big thank you for applying. Your voice matters and we appreciate every application from young women and gender-diverse people across Australia!

How to Apply?

Fill out the online application form which will be linked below once applications open. You’ll be asked a few questions about yourself and your interests. From there, your application will be reviewed by a small YWCA panel. Applications will be shortlisted and then YWCA members will vote to determine who will make up the next Young Women’s Council for 2025 to 2027!

Applications open on Monday, 24 March 2025 and will close on Sunday, 13 April at 11:59pm AEST.

If you have accessibility requirements, you can reach out to Bianca.Brunozzi@ywca.org.au to make alternative arrangements, such as a phone call application.

If you are elected as a YWC Member, your commencement date will be 1 July 2025. You will be provided with our volunteer agreement which you will need to abide by and be asked to complete a Volunteer’s Working With Children’s Check (or equivalent check in your State or Territory).