Leberman leading the way
Palmerston North’s Sarah Leberman has been championing women in sport and education for more than 20 years and doesn’t want the progress to end.
The Massey University professor has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to women, sport and tertiary education.
Leberman has long campaigned on women’s rights in sport and education, helping found Women in Sport Aotearoa and the university New Zealand women in leadership programme.
She said she was honoured and surprised at receiving the gong, but the recognition was not just for her, but everyone who had helped her.
Leberman was involved in developing the $10 million government strategy to increase leadership, participation, value and visibility of females in sport.
She has also managed the Junior Black Sticks women’s hockey team, has been stand-in manager for the senior women, has served on the boards of Volleyball New Zealand, Western Netball and Hockey Manawatu¯, and coaches at her Taekwondo Manawatu¯ club.
She said encouraging females in sport had been her passion for more than 20 years.
She said she didn’t want the progress made in female sport to stop.
‘‘This is the opportunity [post-covid] for sports organisations to take a look at how we can change the way we run sport going forward with an equity lens. How do we get everyone to take part?’’
Leberman started working at Massey in 1991 and helped establish the academic sport management programme in 1992.
Since then, she has had various roles, including head of school of management, deputy pro vice-chancellor for the Massey business school, and academic dean.
She co-developed the university New Zealand women in leadership programme in 2006 and has designed leadership programmes for females at national and university levels.
‘‘[The women in leadership programme] has made a big difference in terms of women’s career opportunities and it’s changing the sector.’’
She said people couldn’t lose sight now and there needed to be equity in all spaces.