Women’s voices are set to be amplified with an Andrews Labor Government program supporting their success in sports governance.
Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence today announced 46 Victorian women will take part in the latest round of the Labor Government’s Change Our Game Women in Governance Program.
The participants come from a broad range of sport and recreation fields, including professional sporting codes, Summer and Winter Olympic sports, local community clubs and the university sector.
The program follows a pilot launched in 2020, helping women working and volunteering in the sport and recreation sector gain the knowledge, skills and ability to excel in board positions.
Previous participant Fiona Bennett was working as a Project Coordinator at Leisure Networks in Geelong when she took part in the program and found it highly beneficial in her transition from local club committee roles to joining the Board of the Barwon Sport’s Academy.
The Office for Women in Sport and Recreation has partnered with the Australian Institute of Company Directors to deliver the three-day program, which provides a comprehensive overview of the main components of directorship including governance, strategy, risk and finance.
The program is an example of the backing being provided to support the Balance The Board policy, which has required a minimum of 40% women on funded sport and active recreation boards since 2019.
The full list of participants and more information can be found at .
Quotes attributable to Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence
“This initiative is about giving women the support they need to be successful while also growing the representation of women across our grassroots sporting communities.”
“It’s so important that all boards right across the community sport sector reflect the people they serve and we know they make better decisions when that is the case.”
Quotes attributable to Barwon Sports Academy Board Member Fiona Bennett
“The program was invaluable in teaching me to critically reflect on all that is presented at Board level.”
“The course was very intensive but as a result I now look at financial papers and can understand what they are telling me about the organisation, I feel more prepared and more confident in my role as a Board member.”
Reviewed 02 March 2022