In a significant move towards gender equity, the Australian government has issued a directive requiring all national and state sporting organizations to achieve a 50-50 gender balance on their boards by July 1, 2027. Failure to comply with this mandate will result in the withholding of public funding.
The National Gender Equity in Sport Governance Policy, unveiled on Tuesday, also demands that half of board chairs and half of board sub-committees are comprised of women by the same deadline. This ambitious initiative aims to tackle the persistent underrepresentation of women in leadership roles within the Australian sports sector, despite near-equal participation rates between men and women in sports.
According to the government, while 62% of sporting bodies already meet the required gender diversity standard, only 25% of boards have women serving as chairs. The policy aims to rectify this imbalance by creating a more inclusive and representative leadership structure.
“We need more women making decisions for more women,” emphasized Sports Minister Anika Wells. “Our sporting systems are not equal, and this policy will help address the gender imbalances prevalent in sports leadership.”
The minister further highlighted the benefits of diversity in senior roles: “Diversity within an organization’s senior roles provides a more complete mix of skills, perspectives, and experiences, resulting in better decision-making and improved performance.”
The policy acknowledges the importance of gender diversity, recognizing that individuals who identify as gender diverse will be counted as women for the purposes of fulfilling the policy requirements.
Each jurisdiction will implement its own strategies to achieve these targets within the stipulated timeframe. While the policy aims to foster greater gender equity, it also emphasizes the value of a diverse range of perspectives and experiences in shaping the future of sports leadership in Australia.
