Since the early 1990's it has been recognised that women occupy fewer leadership positions than men in the sports industry, as employees and volunteers.
Although a number of initiatives have been tried the 2006 Senate Report About Time! Women in sport and recreation in Australia notes that: "Women continue to be under-represented in the decision making structures of sports organisations. Statistics indicate that the number of women on national sporting organisations (NSO) boards is at a low level, with a national average of one woman to seven men on boards in 2005. Consistent with his is the low number of women in executive positions, where women hold only 13% of executive officer positions in the top 40 funded NSOs". (Page 77)
It is also recognised that women continue to be under-represented in coaching, officiating and administration roles in most sports organisations. A number of barriers hindering the advancement of women in these roles have been identified, including the attitudes and perception of the male dominated sports culture, perceptions and expectations of women and work-life issues.
Looking at leadership and governance the Senate Report found that it is in the interests of the good governance of sport that the full range of skills and experience is able to be drawn from the community. These skills, and availability for leadership, lie with both women and men.
Strategies need to be developed by governments and sporting and recreation providers to increase the numbers of women in leadership roles
The Senate Report has suggested that these strategies could include:
- Rewarding sporting organisations that meet a self imposed system of increasing the representation of women on boards. Such organisations could receive incentive or bonus funding from government departments.
- The imposition of quotas or targets in relation to the proportion of women on boards. Specific quotas could be imposed as a condition of government funding for sports organisations.
- Amending the constitutions of sporting organisations to enshrine the rights and representations of their members, male and female. This could act as an ongoing catalyst for systemic change within organisations.
- Implementing succession training for potential or new board members on the provision that organisations must nominate both men and women in order to participate.
- Implementing organisational change within organisations so that they structure and conduct meetings in a more 'women friendly' way in terms of when they are held and how long they run.
- Encouragement of national sport organisations to support women as leaders through the use of leadership training, and conference participation.
- Providing networking opportunities for women working in the sport and recreation industry.
- Providing practical professional development opportunities which better equip women to discharge their duties.
- Providing mentoring and/or apprenticeship programs for women administrators and board members.
- Providing role models for women aspiring to work in the industry.
- Encouraging organisations to actively target women to take on leadership roles.
- Addressing work-life issues, including work and family responsibilities.
- Women could be encouraged to take up these positions through reimbursement of child care and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in board work.
In relation to the imposition of quotas, the AWRA submission to the Senate Inquiry argued that sporting organisations that receive government funding should provide female board representation of 10 or 20 per cent by 2007 and that this proportion should gradually increase over the next 10 years. Womensport and Recreation Victoria argued that sports with less than 10 per cent female board membership should be identified and mechanisms put in place to match these organisations with skilled women on board positions.
The Senate Report noted that Labor Senators have the view that the Australian Sports Commission and NSOs should adopt the provision in Hockey Australia's constitution that provides that no one gender shall constitute less than 35 per cent of a board's elected membership by January 2008. AWRA commented in its presentation to the Senate Inquiry that Hockey Australia's constitution is a good model that could be adopted by other NSOs.
Senate Report Recommendation 12 (Page 90)
5.49 The committee recommends that appropriate organisations with an interest in women in sport and recreation be funded by the Australian Sports Commission to provide skills training in the areas of leadership, communication skills and successful team building; and that the Commonwealth fund the Commission to implement this.
Recommendation 13
5.50 The committee recommends that the Australian Sports Commission continue to provide opportunities for women sport leaders to attend workshops and forums to develop techniques for successful networking.
Recommendation 14
5.51 The committee recommends that the Sport Leadership Grants for Women be continued and that the Commonwealth increase funding for this scheme.