Fair access for women in sport

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Sport is a highly visible and valued feature of Nillumbik’s culture and identity. The sport and active recreation sectors provide opportunities for enriching our communities through the promotion of respect and fair mindedness for all people, while also supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of all Victorians. Nillumbik Shire Council is well positioned to design and implement place-based, integrated actions plans that progress gender equality in community sport.

Every Australian should have the opportunity to be involved in sport – as a participant, an official, an administrator or as a volunteer. From grassroots to the elite level, it's imperative that the sport sector increases the representation of women and girls in sport to better reflect Australian society and create a fairer and more inclusive environment.

Through the implementation of the Fair Access Policy, Council seeks to address known barriers experienced by women, girls and gender diverse people in accessing and using community sports infrastructure. The Policy aims to progressively build capacity and capabilities of Council in the identification, and elimination of systemic causes of gender inequality in policy, programs, communications, and delivery of services in relation to community sports infrastructure. This will include: 

  1. engage fairly and equitably with all staff, governance working groups, state sporting organisations, regional sport assemblies (where applicable) and members of our sport and recreation community, regardless of their gender, in a positive, respectful, and constructive manner; and

  2. engage in the process of gender impact assessments to assess the implications for women, men, trans and gender diverse people of any planned action, including policies and communications. This is a strategy for making all voices, concerns and experiences, an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring of policies and programs.

View Nillumbik Shire Council's Fair Access Policy

Events and resources

There are also many events and resources that can be used to promote your club to women and girls:

This Girl Can

Based on Sport England’s highly successful This Girl Can campaign, This Girl Can – Victoria is here to celebrate and support Victorian women embracing physical activity in a way that suits you. Whether it’s a little or a lot, what matters is getting some movement into your day.

Council supports This Girl Can week, which was held from 9 to 15 October 2023. This Girl Can week is a VicHealth initiative championing women to take fitness into their own hands.

 

Nillumbik’s sporting and recreation clubs, three leisure centres and the golf course are proud supporters of This Girl Can week, and encourage more women to give physical activity a go. 

Download the program guide to see the types of activities that were included in 2023 - This Girl Can program guide 2023(PDF, 758KB)

Change Our Game

Nillumbik is a supporter in the Victorian Government’s Change Our Game campaign and support services to help increase female leadership and participation in sport.

Sport and Recreation Victoria is working to inspire women and girls to participate and become leaders in sport at all levels. There are a range of grants to help the sports industry to develop programs and facilities.

Alongside more general grants there are currently several that specifically target increases in female sport and physical activity participation:

  • Change Our Game Professional Development Scholarships Program. Provides professional development opportunities to women at different stages of their career pathway, from individuals new to the workforce, to those returning from a career break, through to CEOs and new and aspiring directors. In 2023-24, the program offers four streams: Learning, Next Generation Leaders; Executive, and Governance.
  • Change Our Game Community Activation Grants program. Funds one-off community level events that showcase and celebrate the role of women and girls in sport and active recreation.
  • Change Our Game Research Grants Program. The 2022-23 Change Our Game Research Grants Program provides grants of up to $25,000 to eligible Victorian university researchers to support projects investigating emerging issues and identifying solutions to address barriers for women and girls’ participation and leadership in sport and active recreation in Victoria.
  • Change Our Game Women in Sports Broadcasting Program. The 2023-24 program offers a Foundation Program designed for individuals either looking to start, or are in the early stages of, a sports media career.

For workshop and education opportunities, grants and scholarships specifically for women, visit Change Our Game.

Clubs and facilities

As part of Council's commitment to gender equity, we have identified sporting clubs and activities that not only support female participation but provide female-friendly facilities. 

Council will continue to advocate to all levels of government for funding to improve the standard of community sporting infrastructure to support and enhance female participation in active and passive recreation.

The following clubs and facilities are recognised as committed to the ongoing support of This Girl Can:

Women in sport breakfast

Each year, Council join forces with Leisure Networks to deliver a transformative Women in Sport Breakfast designed to foster gender equity and inclusivity in sport. The event, held at the Eltham Community and Reception Centre, provides a platform for local community sporting groups to come together, learn from industry experts, and strive towards a more equitable future in sports participation.

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Women in sport resources

The Clearinghouse for Sport brings together Australia’s leading sport and active recreation agencies – using the Australian Sports Commission as the principal information coordination point – to share news, evidence and insights about sport and human performance.

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) champion the value of sport. ASC encourage and help Australians of all backgrounds, ages and abilities to get involved in sport and enjoy the many benefits. ASC also play a central leadership role across the broader sport sector through collaboration and direction.

 

Strategies for your club to consider

There are also a number of strategies that can be implemented to support women and girls' participation in sport:

tick22.png Advocate for equal representation at all levels including coaching and on club committees.
tick22.png Create a safe and welcoming place.
tick22.png Consider the wording to your club song. Is it supportive and inclusive?
tick22.png Promote initiatives for females to the public, i.e. profile female role models, and ensure equal representation in imagery and social content
tick22.png Provide accessible activities and facilities such as equal access to courts/pitches, female-only activities, appropriate changing rooms and toilets.
tick22.png Provide accessible activities and facilities such as equal access to courts/pitches, female-only activities, appropriate changing rooms and toilets.
tick22.png Allow participation in flexible uniforms such as hijabs for Muslim females.
tick22.png Instigate a zero-tolerance policy towards any type of prejudice or behaviour that puts the wellbeing of women and girls at risk.
tick22.png Provide a pathway and opportunities for progression and career development.
tick22.png Emphasise and support the social aspects of sport.
tick22.png Offer alternative/modified formats.
tick22.png Ask women and girls for input and feedback
tick22.png Deliver group activities.
tick22.png Providing activities at the right time of the day/week.
tick22.png Reduce financial barriers.
tick22.png Promote women into decision-making roles in your club.
tick22.png Create a pipeline for women contenders for committee roles and promote gender balance in selection processes.
tick22.png Provide training opportunities to increase women’s capabilities for advancement
tick22.png Develop policies that are gender inclusive, and that club culture promotes gender equality.
tick22.png Ensure the requirements for committee membership are free from discrimination and bias.
tick22.png Create opportunities to educate boys and men about the benefits of gender equality through sport.

 

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