- WA Government helps secure national target of 50 per cent women in leadership roles at Australia's sports governing bodies
- Agreement reached at Meeting of Sport and Recreation Ministers in Sydney
- Federal Government adopts new policy after push from Western Australia and other States
The McGowan Government has helped spearhead a push for Australian sports governing bodies to commit to having at least 50 per cent women on their executive boards and committees.
The deal was struck at the recent Meeting of Sport and Recreation Ministers in Sydney, which saw the tabling of the draft National Policy Framework for Girls and Women.
The 50 per cent target is 10 per cent higher than what was originally proposed, and reflects women's representation in the community.
The new target was endorsed by all jurisdictions and is now Federal Government policy which will be enacted nationally.
The McGowan Government will work with Western Australia's sport and recreation industry to develop a staged implementation strategy to assist sports with any transition.
As noted by Sport and Recreation Minister Mick Murray:
"I am proud that WA has played a key role in this important national initiative. We advocated strongly for the target to be increased to 50 per cent and this is a good result for equality and the sports industry.
"Sport plays such an important role in our culture, so it's vital that the governing bodies are representative of our communities.
"Diversity in leadership positions not only better reflects our communities, it has been shown to make good business sense and lead to better decision making outcomes.
"The McGowan Government is on track to deliver on its election commitment to increase the representation of women on State Government boards to 50 per cent, and we are pleased the sport and recreation industry are now set to follow.
"We will be working closely with the sports industry in WA to improve the gender diversity of boards, as we move towards an outcome more representative of our communities."
As noted by Women's Interests Minister Simone McGurk:
"We know that diversity makes good business sense and delivers benefits to the organisation as a whole.
"Decision-making bodies should reflect the diversity of their communities.
"There are many skilled and capable women with a great deal of expertise to contribute to the sporting industry, and by not having a gender balance we are missing out on a huge array of talent.
"This policy sends a message to the sporting community, and the community at large, that gender equality is important and government has a leadership role in driving the agenda for change."
