ECHO First Nations Women’s Leadership Program
The ECHO program offers a culturally appropriate and safe space to build on participants’ unique leadership roles in their family, community, workplace, businesses and broader society.
Elevating Connections Healing Ourselves
First Nations women routinely hold valued roles and responsibilities in families, communities and nations. It’s important that they are also represented in formal leadership roles and positions of influence across our state.
Sixteen First Nations women will participate in a leadership development program led by Karen Milward Consulting and team. The team includes Karabena Consulting and a range of expert First Nations facilitators and community members.
The program runs from September to December 2025.
Applications for the 2025 Elevating Connections Healing Ourselves program have now closed.
Program participants engage in:
- cultural activities to promote cultural connection and strengthen identity
- coaching and mentoring support from Elders and program facilitators
- working together as a team
- activities to build on the unique strengths, capabilities and experiences of participants.
Elders in residence share their wisdom, stories and guidance with participants.
The program was designed by a diverse group of Victorian First Nations women and piloted in 2021. The design and pilot phases were led by Karen Milward Consulting and overseen by a First Nations Women’s Advisory Group.
Contact us
To contact us please email womensleadership.fv@dffh.vic.gov.au.
Read past participants’ experiences
2024 graduates
Equality
Allyson Walker
Allyson Walker is a Yorta Yorta, Wemba Wemba, Gunditjmara and Taungurung woman with connections to other countries. She trained as a nurse, before moving into community development work.
Equality
Indy Peters
Indy is Youth Co-ordinator at Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place (MMIGP). She organises culturally safe environments for Indigenous students to connect culturally and socially with each other.
Equality
Leticia Searle
Leticia is Educational Program Lead at Foodbank Victoria. She is committed to creating sustainable, collaborative programs that build capacity and provide opportunities for individuals to thrive.
2023 graduates
Equality
Ange Jeffery
The ECHO Program inspired Ange to make the right decisions so she could keep working for an employer she loved while also pursuing her art practice.
Equality
Ellen Tunumafono
Thanks to ECHO, Ellen has taken on a new leadership role, applied her many new skills and connected with a strong network of ECHO alumni.
Equality
Mel Peters
The ECHO Program taught Mel to know her worth and empowered her to seek out a workplace where she could be better supported to grow into a senior leadership role.
Equality
Vicky Peters
Since completing the ECHO Program, Vicky has found a clearer vision of herself as a leader and a strategic path to pursue her leadership aspirations.
Updated 17 August 2025
About the VIC Government
- The Premier and ministers
- Find a Vic Gov department, agency or service
- Strategies and policies
- Inquiries and royal commissions
Grants and programs
Jobs and careers
Arts, culture and heritage
Business and the workplace
- Mentally Healthy Workplaces Framework
- Portable Long Service Authority
- Victoria’s racing industry
- Workforce Inspectorate Victoria
- Liquor licensing, sale and supply
Communities
- Children
- First Peoples - State Relations
- Finding records
- Gender equality & women’s leadership
- LGBTIQA+ equality
- Multicultural communities
- Seniors Online
- Veterans support and commemoration
- Volunteering in Victoria
- Youth Central
Education and training
- Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority
- Early childhood education – information for professionals
- Kinder: Best Start, Best Life
- Education – information for parents
- Schools.Vic - information for schools
- Education grants, programs, awards and events
- PROTECT
- TAFE, training and universities sector
- TAFE Victoria
- Victorian Skills Authority
- Apprenticeships Victoria
- Learn Local
Environment, water and energy
Finance and economy
Health and social support
- Family violence reform
- NDIS Worker Screening Check
- NDIS and disability services and support in Victoria
- Patient Review Panel
- Transforming Trauma Victoria
Housing and property
Law and justice
- Adoption
- Births, deaths and marriages
- Honorary justices
- Machete ban
- Safeguarding Victorians against terrorism
- Stolen Generations Reparations Package
- Victims of Crime
- Victorian Racing Tribunal
Safety and emergencies
- Emergency Recovery Victoria
- Victorian Emergency Relief and Recovery Foundation
- Emergency Recovery Resource Portal
- How well do you know fire
- Fire Services Reform
- Water safety
- Marine Search and Rescue
Science and technology
- Data sharing and open data
- Data.vic - discover and access Vic Gov open data
- Developer.Vic - portal for API developers
- Go.vic URL shortener
- Vic Gov IT project dashboard
- Victoria’s free public wi-fi network
- Cyber security in the Victorian Government
Sport and recreation
Traffic and transport
- Cameras Save Lives
- Transport Fines
- Getting Around
- Transport Planning
- Transport Future
- Climate Change and transport
- Future Directions For Transport
- Transport projects
- Ports and Freight
Working in the Victorian Government
- Single Digital Presence home
- Accommodation and Library Services
- Executive employment in the Victorian public sector
- Budget, procurement and funding
- Careers in the Victorian Government
- Council and Regulator Toolkit
- Guidelines for working in government
- Join a government network
- Standards and guidelines
- VicFleet CarPool
- Victorian Government style guide