Gender Equality
Sports Focus continues to advocate for sporting environments that are safe, welcoming and inclusive of women and girls. To achieve gender equality in our sporting clubs starts with respect for women.
Sport is an important setting where gender inequality and its drivers can be challenged, and equality championed. By challenging gender inequality in community sport, we can create inclusive, equitable, healthy and safe environments for women, men, girls, boys and gender diverse people. This helps to prevent violence against women.
Sports Focus is excited to be partnering with La Trobe University having received funding through Sport & Recreation Victoria’s Preventing Violence Through Sport program from 2022-2024.
Over a 2 year period, this project aims to build the capacity and determine the readiness of regional community sport and recreation to prevent and respond to family violence, sexual violence and violence against women both in sport and through sport.
The project will examine and develop initiatives and sustainable ways of implementing the Preventing Violence Against Women guidelines in an appropriate way that works within the unique contexts of the region.
Through a Mount Alexander Shire Council partnership grant, Sports Focus is supporting the Mt Alexander Falcons Womens Football Club in creating a club where women and gender diverse people can play AFL football in a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment. The Falcons will be the first women’s football team established in the Mount Alexander Shire.
Sports Focus will be facilitating the development of Gender Equality & Inclusion Plan to ensure the club continues to thrive and build on the strong culture that they are establishing. This will involve member surveys & consultation, a club equity audit, plan development and diversity and inclusion training.
PROJECT UPDATE
Since kicking off the project in July 2022, we have engaged and consulted with a range of people from our sporting community to help determine what is already happening and what support is needed.
Click the link below to find out more about the project, results from the consultation and surveys, and what’s happening next.