The Victorian Government is committed to increasing the number of women and girls participating in sport and active recreation, from grassroots through to senior leadership roles.
The Inquiry into Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation was established in late 2014 to advise the Victorian Minister for Sport on practical actions that the sector could adopt to enhance participation by women and girls to increase their engagement in leadership and governance roles.
Following the Inquiry the Change Our Game initiative was launched, designed to encourage the sport and recreation sector to challenge gender stereotypes and help women and girls become leaders.
New Director Of Office For Women In Sport And Recreation
Highly experienced and well-credentialed sports administrator Sarah Styles was appointed Director of the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation in Victoria in May 2021.
Sarah is best known for her work with Cricket Australia, where she led a range of initiatives to increase women and girls’ involvement and inclusion in cricket as the organisation’s inaugural Head of Female Engagement.
This leadership culminated in the historic ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Final at the MCG on International Women’s Day last year, where 86,174 fans saw Australia defeat India to secure the title.
Most recently she worked as a strategic advisor to Sport Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport on its ‘Women Leading Sport’ initiative, which aims to significantly increase the representation and success of women in leadership positions in Australian sport.
She is also a Director of Gender Equity Victoria, Victoria’s peak advocacy body for gender equity, women’s health and the prevention of violence against women.
Sarah succeeds Dr Bridie O’Donnell, who was the inaugural Director of the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation when it was established by the Victorian Government in 2017.
