fair access
VIC GOV
SYNOPSIS
Women & girls are still fighting for fair access and basic necessities in community sporting clubs across Victoria.
If the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has shown us anything, it’s that the level of support has skyrocketed for women in professional sport, especially in spaces that were once considered male dominated. Unfortunately, the same level of support is not reflected in many community sporting clubs across Australia. Thankfully, things are changing, but we still have a way to go.
CHALLENGE
Many women in community sporting clubs in Victoria still face significant barriers, such as the lack of allocated change rooms or appropriate facilities, limited access to field space, coaching staff, umpires, and trainers. Additionally, there remains a stigma and a pervasive mentality that women’s sport is not taken as seriously as men’s sport. The challenges that result from gender bias and stigmas around women’s sport, ultimately prevent women and girls from thriving or potentially excelling into positions of leadership.
The Office for Women in Sport & Recreation (OWSR) were seeking a compelling campaign to highlight these issues, raise awareness, and foster a sense of urgency to prioritise fair access in the community sporting sector across Victoria.
EXECUTION
We chose to address the existing barriers in community sport, through unscripted interviews that capture the lived experiences of women from different walks of life.
Through the introduction of allies in this space, we would also highlight the ripple effect these barriers are having on women and girls in the community and how some sporting clubs are tackling these issues in real time, in order to create real change and a cultural shift in community sport.
Finally, in order to break this cycle, we believed it was important to also touch on the unconscious bias exhibited by some of the adult participants who have been conditioned by old ways of thinking in community sport. This would be balanced out by the refreshing views of young children, who are yet to be affected by societal “norms” or gender stereotypes, further highlighting that gender bias is a behaviour that is learnt over time, and that we all have the power to change this narrative by breaking the cycle before it starts.
WATCH CAMPAIGN VIDEO HERE
IMPACT
Since its launch, the video has gained significant traction, with over 2 million impressions and extensive sharing across social media and sector forums, driving ongoing awareness and education about the Fair Access Policy within the Victorian Government and the Change Our Game Initiative.