Damning survey ‘outdated’
The statistics over the state of women’s cricket in New Zealand sound damning but White Fern Amy Satterthwaite says there has been marked improvement since a global survey of players was taken.
Fifty per cent of New Zealand’s female cricketers who took part in the survey by the Federation of International Cricketers’ Association described their relationship with their governing bodies as ‘poor’’, while 75 per cent thought they didn’t have a clear say on issues related to them.
The survey was released yesterday, but Satterthwaite and New Zealand Cricket Players Association (NZCPA) chief executive Heath Mills point out the survey was taken a year ago and the situation has changed markedly since then.
The research acknowledged New Zealand ‘‘punches above its weight’’, with White Ferns receiving benefits and provisions similar to those in other countries that have more financial resources, while domestic players have started to receive contracts, although there is still an 88 per cent gender pay gap.
Women also make up 50 per cent of the New Zealand Cricket Board, compared with 20 per cent globally, the report found.
The federation’s research was carried out 12 months ago, before female players signed their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with New Zealand Cricket (NZC), which introduced contracts and other provisions.
Mills, who is executive chairman of the federation, said since the introduction of the memorandum, he is confident players’ voices are being heard, and is dedicated to ensuring women continue to be heard.
‘‘There’s always improvements we can make and its something for us to make sure we are getting right in the future,’’ he said.
Satterthwaite, who is a Players Association board member and on the players’ advisory group for the federation, said relationships have improved in the last 12 months because of the investment and opportunities given to women by NZC. ‘‘It’s something that always needs to be worked on and with these surveys there’s always a bit of the past that comes into them at times. We’ve come a long way and improved from where we’ve been. The MOU has ... showed a massive step forward in the investment we’ve had,’’ she said.
More female players are also now represented by the Players Association. Up until the MOU White Ferns had representation, but now domestic players are represented too. That gives them a voice, Satterthwaite said.
‘‘It would be interesting to see that survey done again now as to where those numbers would get to, but in the past we have had times we felt we hadn’t been heard ... but that has improved,’’ she said.
In the past, the women’s game has been ‘‘neglected’’. That’s according to the 2016 Beaman Report into the state of the women’s game. The result was a formal apology by chief executive David White at the time.
NZC acknowledges there is ‘‘room for improvement’’ regarding the most recent findings.
‘‘... while much progress has been made, there is still some way to go until true equity has been achieved,’’ it said in a statement.
‘‘Having said that, women cricketers in New Zealand are well represented by the NZCPA, which negotiated the ground-breaking Women’s MOU in 2019 and helps ensure players are treated fairly and with respect in all facets of the game.’’ NZC said it is ‘‘committed’’ to a programme to grow the women’s game in a ‘‘sustainable and responsible manner’’.
‘‘... and note the FICA Global Women’s Employment Report marks NZC highly in terms of player representation, and player development and welfare support.’’
‘‘One of the most pleasing and recent developments in the New Zealand women’s game is, for the first time, live, free-to-air coverage of Super Smash fixtures and the first game of each women’s T20 international series, on top of the scheduled live coverage on Spark Sport.’’