This opinion piece appeared in The West Australian on 7 March 2024. It is written by Debbie Childs, CEO at HelpingMinds.
In my role as chief executive of a mental health and carer support organisation and as a board director with various organisations, I often find myself at the intersection of values, ethics, and the pursuit of equity and inclusion.
And what I notice is uneven progress across sectors. I witness pockets of excellence in fostering diversity and inclusion, particularly in the not-for-profit community sector, and other stark examples where leadership and attitudes seem stuck in a bygone era.
I have firsthand experience of exclusion because of my gender having worked overseas for 20 years in the television industry, where too many men were misogynistic and had little impetus to change the “old boys’ club” status quo.
More recently, this has been my experience at a grassroots level in a sporting club here is WA.
As a volunteer member of the management committee of a sports club, my proposal for an inclusion committee aimed at addressing the concerns of women in our club (about half the membership) who did not feel safe or welcomed, faced staunch resistance from many of my male colleagues on the management committee.
This was despite the fact that such a move would help to meet an objective in our club’s own constitution, which was to foster diversity and inclusion.
Less than two months later, five members of the nine-member management committee resigned en masse, including myself, citing a loss of confidence in the club leadership. What unfolded next was even more concerning particularly from a woman’s point of view — with the new management committee consisting of 100 per cent men, completely disregarding the fact that half the club membership is female and ignoring the inclusion clause of the constitution.
From my point of view, as one of those who resigned from the club’s management committee, this was a classic “one step forward and two backward” outcome and starkly illustrates the challenges faced, especially for women, when advocating for inclusion.
In WA, where sports clubs are required to have equal representation on management committees to apply for government grants, the reality often falls short, with many committees and leadership positions stacked with men.
I see this as a lost opportunity, particularly when women can form a significant proportion of a club’s membership and supporter base and deserve an equal say.
Sporting organisations and clubs are a microcosm of broader Australian society, and a great leveller across classes and genders.
Sport can bring people together like no other shared human experience and with sport being such an important part of our cultural tapestry, grassroots sporting organisations are the perfect social institution to build on the values of equity and inclusion.
Sporting organisations of all sizes hold a unique position in our communities and present a unique opportunity to ensure that inclusion is actively pursued, and women feel genuinely part of the fabric of a club, a privilege men have long enjoyed.
It’s not about encouraging women to “have a go” or aiming for an increase in female participation in sport.
It’s about giving women a fair and equitable voice in how a club is managed, what values they will uphold and how it will create an inclusive environment
The benefits of encouraging inclusivity and gender equality in all aspects of life, including sporting clubs, are well-researched and documented, and the wider public expect it. One survey from Victoria found 98 per cent of respondents expected their local community sporting clubs to provide an environment that is welcoming and inclusive to girls and women, and 89 per cent expected clubs to educate men about appropriate behaviour towards women.
How many WA sporting clubs could say, hand on heart, that they are working towards, or fulfil these expectations?
Unfortunately, from my experience, outdated leadership models persist and hinder progress, reinforcing stereotypes and limiting opportunities for women in sports clubs around WA.
Unconscious bias continues to be a formidable barrier, impacting decision-making processes and perpetuating inequalities.
The failure to have diverse representation in leadership, in business and especially in sporting clubs, not only undermines the principles of equity but also reflects a broader issue of systemic bias.
It is imperative that such instances are recognised as evidence of unconscious bias, prompting sporting organisations to take proactive measures to address these disparities.
As we near International Women’s Day, it is paramount to recognise the value of true inclusion and the myriad benefits it brings to society and that includes not only where we work, but also where we play.