Our women’s stories are exciting stories. These stories have been an important fellowship and experience for our women. They all thought that their story was not worthy to be shared. Yet those that agreed to be interviewed and recorded in this publication have opened their private life and home for the world to understand and learn what our women and their families in the Pa Enua feel, live, and hold important.

This booklet takes us on a journey of change and challenge with women who identify as grandmothers, mothers, sisters and daughters. We are struck by the hard work and limited resources that each woman faces. Whether it is organisation building and management, peace dialogues, standing in local elections, investing in business or education – we gain a sense of courage and determination from these women to drive change for themselves and their communities.

This profile of the local government system in Australia is structured to enable easy comparison across the countries of the Commonwealth. The profile includes an overview of the government system, the legal basis for and structure of local government, elections and women’s representation, intergovernmental relations, systems for community involvement, organised local government, intergovernmental relations, monitoring systems, finance, staffing and resources, and distribution of service delivery responsibility.