Thanks to a Victorian Government initiative, the sport and recreational landscape is being encouraged to challenge gender stereotypes and to help more women and girls earn sports leadership roles through the Change Our Game movement.
The Change Our Game campaign, which was launched by the Victorian Minister For Sport, Mr John Eren, comes as a direct response to the findings delivered by the Women and Girls in Sport and Recreation Inquiry which made a number of recommendations to help women get the opportunities that they deserve in what is currently perceived as a male dominated environment.
With $1 million of funding to help fast track the recommendations and another $10 million to support the construction of women’s changerooms at grassroots clubs across Victoria, Valley Sport Executive Officer David Quinn said that the Change Our Game initiative was a ground breaker for the state’s sporting landscape.
“We hope that female participations rates will begin to rise over the next few years with the focus from many SSA’s to grow the female side of their game” Mr Quinn said, “However more still needs to be done to break down the barriers to female participation at a local sporting club level, from making facilities more female and family friendly to creating more opportunities for women to take up leadership positions at their club”.
“By breaking down barriers, providing equal promotion and fair opportunity I believe that we truly can Change Our Game” – David Quinn Executive Officer
The Victorian Government will be working with state sporting associations to help lead the charge towards the goal of having 40% of board positions represented with a female presence in three years time, and Valley Sport are committed to helping reach these goals at a local level.
“As an organisation, we’ll be working with local clubs to help identify opportunities to embrace board diversity” Quinn said, “We want to encourage committees to be representative of the whole community and to look at making the necessary changes to offer the opportunity to anyone who wants to contribute”.
Quinn also said that it was vitally important for young girls to visually see women in positions in sport that make them want to aspire to one day reach the same level. “We’ve all had sporting hero’s growing up, from buying their gear, to practicing their signature moves in the backyard as a child, we’ve all aspired to be like someone. It’s key that the media give equal promotion to female athletes and administrators so that the next generation also have someone to look up to”
Though only just launched, the Change Our Game campaign has been a long standing fight in sport and recreation and Valley Sport look forward to once again helping the Goulburn Valley lead the way in the ever changing Victorian sporting landscape.
If you, or your club would like any further information on the Change Our Game initiative, please contact our office on (03) 5831 8456 or email info@valleysport.net.au