Women in sport forum inspires
More than 120 people from local government, health agencies, state sporting association‘s and sports club members, player and officials attended Gippsland’s first female participation in sports forum held in Traralgon recently.
A joint-initiative between GippSport and Gippsland Women’s Health, the forum aimed to inspire much-needed change and explore how best to increase female participation, as players and leaders, in community sport across Gippsland.
Recent research shows that men and boys still dominate participation and leadership across all areas of sport. It is becoming increasingly important to address the gap between men and women in the sporting realm.
A number of local organisations are developing new ways of thinking about women and girls in sport.
A key part of its work plan under the state government’s Supporting Victorian Sport and Recreation Program, GippSport has committed to championing and promoting women and girls’ participation in sport, as well as work to address the gender imbalance that currently exists within sporting clubs.
GippSport program manager Dan Poynton said the forum provided an opportunity to start the discussion as to how we can work at a community level to provide a more equitable Gippsland sporting sector.
“There are lots of new opportunities coming from Sport and Recreation Victoria in relation to women’s sport, so we’re working to support local Gippsland clubs to make the most of these state and local government initiatives to provide more opportunities and better facilities for Gippsland women and girls to participate in sport,” he said.
Gippsland Women’s Health Regional Prevention coordinator Sarah Corbell said there has been a shift at the elite level, with a number of national sporting organisations reaping the benefits of raising the profile of women’s sport.
“At a local level it is important for clubs to look at how they might address the lower retention rates of women in organised sport, improve pathways and opportunities for women as not only players but as club leaders and raise the profile of women in the local sports media,” she said.
Founder and editor of women’s sport website www.sportette.com.au Sam Squiers was keynote speaker at the forum.
“Women have been an untapped market for sport for decades, but finally both professional and grassroots sports have realised that women are exactly the market they have to engage and involve,” she said.
“They simply are the secret to their survival and longevity.”
In late 2015 the state governments’ inquiry into women and girls in sport and active recreation presented nine recommendations to increase female leadership and participation in the sport sector.
Sport and Recreation Victoria is working across Victoria with key partners to bring about change in community sport.
Their new campaign, #ChangeOurGame aims not only to inspire women and girls to participate and become leaders in sport but challenges the sports sector to take the pledge to support more women and girls to participate and become leaders in sport.
The forum was the first community sport event run in alignment with the new campaign.
GippSport and Gippsland Women’s Health are looking to motivate and inspire decision-makers in the Gippsland sport and active recreation sector to do more to attract women and girls to participate and become leaders.
For more information and to be involved with the program, phone GippSport program manager Dan Poynton on 0428 358 336 or email him at daniel@gippsport.com.au