All major sporting organisations warned to increase board gender diversity or lose critical funds
The federal sports minister has told all major sporting bodies to increase diversity on their boards or risk losing crucial funding. SHANNON GILL reports that from the country’s biggest sports, half don’t reach the quota.
Australia’s biggest sports will need to undergo major restructures of their boards or else risk being ineligible for government funding after Federal Minister for Sport Anika Wells introduced new gender equity guidelines for sports governance today.
The AFL, NRL, Cricket Australia, Rugby Australia and Tennis Australia currently do not meet the targets of 50% of its board being female and/or gender diverse.
Failure to meet the criteria by the January 1 2027 deadline would see sports all forfeit their right to federal government funding via the Australian Sports Commission for participation and performance programs.
More urgent is the position of other non-compliant organisations like Swimming Australia, Cycling Australia, Basketball Australia and Hockey Australia.
They all receive multi-million dollar ASC packages, have less alternative revenue sources and are currently non-compliant.
Basketball Australia, who will receive nearly four million of funding from the ASC this financial year, has a seven-person board made up of six males.
“We need more women making decisions for more women. Our sporting systems are not equal and this policy will help address the gender imbalances prevalent in sports leadership,” Minister Wells said.
The new policy also calls for 50% of board chairs to be female or gender diverse, which in real terms means that every sporting organisation that has a male chair must appoint a female or gender diverse deputy-chair to comply (even if it is unprecedented to appoint a deputy).
The Government says that 62% of national sporting organisations and national sporting organisations for people with disability that they fund currently already meet the 50% board criteria.
Yet CODE Sports research of 35 of Australia’s biggest sporting organisations suggest that almost half fail to comply, and many only comply on the technicality of having uneven numbers on its board (having four female and/or gender diverse members of a nine-person board would fulfil the criteria).
Only six of those 35 organisations currently have 50% or more representation by females or gender diverse people; Netball Australia, Skate Australia, Water Polo, Archery Australia, Diving Australia and Equestrian Australia. .
Australian Sports Commission CEO Keiren Perkins backed the move, saying that previous policies had not resulted in the required changes.
“As someone who has been fortunate to be involved in sport across four decades, it’s disappointing that in many respects, sport looks the same today as it did 20 years ago,” Perkins said.
“This groundbreaking policy is the change required to continue to drive the sport sector forward as we build towards Brisbane 2032 and beyond.”
Of the heavyweights, the AFL Commission (7-3 male), the Australian Rugby League Commission (6-2) and the Cricket Australia (7-3) and Tennis Australia (7-3) boards currently stand at 30% or below. All would need the replacement of at least two male members within less than two and a half years to reach the target.
Sports who do not meet the criteria will get the opportunity to make their case not to be freezed out of funding by demonstrating that they are actively moving towards those numbers once current set director terms are served.
“I strongly encourage all organisations that operate within the Australian sporting environment to embrace this policy and implement the game-changing gender targets we need,” Minister Wells said.
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