Girls just wanna have... fair access to community sport! Observed globally on October 11, International Day of the Girl shines a spotlight to the specific issues faced by girls.
That’s what the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation is calling for today on International Day of the Girl.
Observed globally on October 11, International Day of the Girl shines a spotlight to the specific issues faced by girls.
Today, we celebrate the powerful role girls play in our families, communities, schools and sporting clubs.
We also reflect on the progress made towards gender equality in our sector, and highlight that further conversations are needed at a grassroots level to accelerate this change.
Women and girls are still fighting for fair access in community sporting clubs across Victoria.
The Office for Women in Sport and Recreation has today released the next phase of our Fair Access Policy Roadmap campaign.
The campaign aligns with the second phase of the Roadmap – the Readiness Phase – and encourages conversations on what inequality and fair access can look like in community clubs.
It’s time to lift our game.
It’s time for Fair Access.
Are you ready?
View video transcript
Vision: View of a basketball court and a small child walks in and climbs on a chair to face the camera.
Narrator
Hi. What have you got there? Is that your special ball?
Child 1
Yes.
Vision: Child 1 punches the ball away.
Narrator
Are you really good at sport?
Child 1
Yes. I’ve been practicing.
Narrator
Why did you want to start playing football?
Child 1
Because my mum plays.
Narrator
Do mums get to play football?
Child 1
Yeah.
Vision: A small child is lifted onto the chair by an adult and faces camera.
Narrator:
What sport do girls play?
Child 2
Rugby.
Vision: View of small child and adult sitting in chairs facing camera.
Child 3
Girls and boys can play anything they want.
Vision: View of older child sitting on chair facing camera.
Child 4
I think everyone deserves the same chance. I don’t think that should be determined by their gender.
Text: Women and girls are still fighting for fair access in community sporting clubs across Victoria.
Vision: Adult 1 walks into the scene.
Vision: View of an adult sitting on the chair.
Adult 1
This is so weird.
Narrator
What are some of the barriers that you’ve faced as a woman in sport?
Vision: View of adult female sitting on chair.
Adult 2
We were made to get changed under a scoreboard, not ideal, but at the time I didn’t know any different so you just think that that’s what happens and you move on.
Adult 1
We had to fight for just space on a playing field. We get given a corridor to play on whereas often the men’s teams will have the rest of the oval.
Adult 2
And then you are told that they’ve fourth quarter has been pulled short so they can start the men’s game on time.
Adult 3
It’s sad but you kind of become a bit accustomed to it. It’s one of those things that you have to, as a female, kind of ignore.
Adult 4
It makes us feel like shit, like, you know, like we don’t feel valued in these environments.
Narrator
Why do we accept that in sport?
Adult 3
It’s just the way country football’s always been set up. I think girls are just really taught that, like, the boys are going to be the ones that are going to be the sporting heroes. It’s always been male-dominated and that’s the reason why I think most women do take a step back and just accept it.
Text: It’s time for change.
Adult 1
Often, you know, if you have a dominant form of people in these spaces those views will continue.
Adult 5
Males have also a role to play in this and we need to start changing our communication.
Adult 6
We want to be united. We want to be one club.
Adult 7
When we have women’s games we’ll purposely put on the main field. No other games are playing at the same time. You have your change room. Let’s make the effort because it’s important.
Adult 1
Community sport’s hurt me in many ways, in many instances, but at the same time I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for community sport. So, I tell women and girls to stick with it and hopefully the systems will catch up to better support us.
Adult 2
It’s now our turn. It’s now our turn to shine.
Vision: View of lady giving little girl a kiss on the cheek.
Text: It’s time to lift our game. It’s time for Fair Access.
Text; Change Our Game. To find out more about the Fair Access Policy Roadmap, visit: changeourgame.vic.gov.au.
Text: Victoria State Government. Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.
Today on International Day of the Girl, we highlight the progress made in gender equity and fair access in the sports sector. We hope the Fair Access Policy Roadmap and the stories shown in these videos can act as a catalyst for further reflection and change.Sarah Styles, Director at the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation
The world-first, three-phase Roadmap is supporting all Victorian councils to have gender equitable access and use policies in place for community sports infrastructure, with the requirement to have a policy in place to form part of eligibility criteria for Victoria Government community sports infrastructure funding from 1 July 2024. Since the launch of the Roadmap in August 2022:
The Roadmap was developed by OWSR, in partnership with Sport and Recreation Victoria (SRV) and VicHealth, following consultation with the sport, local government, and gender equality sectors. The campaign released today aligns with the second phase of the Roadmap – the Readiness Phase – and aims to encourage conversations on what inequality and fair access looks like in community clubs, encouraging change progress directly at a grassroots level.
The Education Phase of the Roadmap has formally concluded, and the Readiness Phase of the Roadmap is now underway.
Page last updated: 29 August 2024
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