Source: MIL-OSI Submissions
Source: Women in Sport Aotearoa
UN International Women’s Day 2021
The New Zealand Government has today announced a $950k investment into Women in Sport Aotearoa, Ngā Wāhine Hākinakina o Aotearoa (WISPA), to support the planning and delivery of the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport in May 2022. The news came as Aotearoa kicked off a day of events and activities to mark UN International Women’s Day.
The funding comes from the $265 million Sport Recovery Package. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Sport & Recreation, the Hon Grant Robertson, said in his statement:
“The conference is a chance to celebrate the progress New Zealand has and continues to make for women and girls in play, active recreation and sport and society as a whole.
“It also provides the opportunity to advance even more change as one of four major events in the country over the coming three years. It’s important that we ensure this event is as successful as it can be.
“The IWG shares in this vision and provides an opportunity to connect New Zealand with the global conversation on gender equity in sport.”
WISPA is a charity established in late 2016. It exists to transform society through leadership, advocacy and research, thus ensuring that all women and girls gain equity of opportunity to participate, compete and build careers across play, active recreation and sport in Aotearoa.
In early 2018, WISPA led a consortium of seven government and sports agencies, in a bid to bring the International Working Group (IWG) on Women & Sport Secretariat and World Conference to Aotearoa; the latter being the world’s largest gathering of experts in the field.
The intent behind the bid was to provide a focal point for change and support the roll-out of the first government ‘Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation’ strategy in late 2018.
Rachel Froggatt, Chief Executive of WISPA, said:
“In September 2020, we kicked-off a two-year journey toward and beyond the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport, following months of research, planning and development.
“Throughout 2020, COVID-19 presented a significant challenge in terms of sourcing the funding we needed to realise our vision: to create an inspired ‘community of action’ by positively influencing current attitudes and increasing the awareness, understanding and professional capability of people making decisions about women and girls across the sector.
“We are extraordinarily grateful for this investment from government; it is transformational in terms of what we can achieve. We would like to especially thank Minister Robertson and the Board and senior leadership at Sport New Zealand for their support and faith in our mahi.”
Around 1,200 participants physically took part in the most recent edition of the IWG World Conference on Women & Sport – Botswana 2018. The new investment will enable WISPA to deliver a world-first hybrid edition, expected to significantly increase overall audience reach.
Froggatt explains: “The objective is to inspire those working in our sector across the motu and around the world through delivery of practical advice and ideas live from the world’s best strategists and their delivery partners, using an integrated physical and digital approach. In this, COVID-19 has actually made it possible to expand our conversation globally.”
The investment also allows WISPA to accelerate development and launch of its planned Insight Hub; a world first digital platform designed to house the best case studies, research, tools, insights, news and networking activity, to support and inspire people to make positive change within their organisation, sport or activities. This will also host the digital Conference.
Both the World Conference and Insight Hub are being designed aligned to a global theme, “Change Inspires Change”, a concept encouraging the sharing of stories of change – big or small – that inspired positive change for women and girls within sport and physical activity.
Julie Paterson and Sarah Leberman MNZM, co-founders and current co-chairs of WISPA, speaking on behalf of the WISPA Board said:
“In Aotearoa, the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport is classified as one of the “big four” women’s sports events coming to our shores over the next three years. The three World Cups in cricket, rugby and football will provide an exceptional showcase for women’s sport. Alongside, we are focussed on making sure the impact of these events is supported by a sector capability programme designed to ensure that all changes become permanent.
“On behalf of the Women in Sport Aotearoa Board, thank you very much Minister Robertson, the government and Sport New Zealand for this investment. Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, they have never once lost sight of the fact that positive action is required to transform lay, active recreation and sport to provide equity of access and opportunity to all women and girls, who together make up 51% of our society.”
Watch the “Change Inspires Change” short film here (90sec):
FURTHER INFORMATION:
What’s happening in New Zealand sport?
Women in Sport Leadership –
– 27% of Governance
– 7% of Chief Executives
– 30% of Coaching
– 79% of Secretarial
Visibility of Female Athletes and Sport –
– Less than 15% media coverage annually
– 28% in Olympic/Paralympic year only
Community Participation by Girls and Women –
– 12% less participation weekly Higher levels of dissatisfaction
(source: various incl Sport New Zealand; NZ Olympic Committee circa 2018/19)
– please note, Netball positively impacts these numbers.
Why is it happening?
Societal Challenges – examples:
– Traditional family roles
– Religious and cultural beliefs
– Time, cost and body image
Systemic Barriers – examples:
– Appropriate and safe facilities
– Organised/regular female activity
– Funding prioritisation by gender
Unconscious Bias – examples:
– Gendered organisational focus
– Recruitment influenced by gender
– Editorial bias in coverage of sport
(source: various incl Sport New Zealand; Sport England; Canadian Women & Sport circa 2018/19)
What is WISPA and how is it acting to support positive change?
Women in Sport Aotearoa, Ngā Wāhine Hākinakina o Aotearoa (WISPA), is a charity that exists to transform society through leadership, advocacy and research, ensuring that all women and girls gain equity of opportunity to participate, compete and build careers in play, active recreation and sport in Aotearoa New Zealand. Established in late 2016, we deliver advocacy programmes all over Aotearoa from the Whanake o te Kōpara young women’s leadership development programme; through to the Sport NZ Women + Girls Summitseries in partnership with the Shift Foundation; online leadership webinars; development of a network of regional hubs, and advocacy in media and social media. Currently, WISPA is also global delivery agent for the International Working Group (IWG) on Women & Sport Secretariat and Conference 2018 – 2022. We will stage the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Online from 5-8 May 2022: the largest global gathering of its kind. Our funding comes from a mix of grants and trusts, donations, fundraising, philanthropy and commercial partners. You can help us out too! Donate Now or visit Support Us.
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How does the IWG fit into the Aotearoa New Zealand picture?
The International Working Group (IWG) on Women & Sport is world’s largest network dedicated to achieving gender equality in sport and physical activity. It is fully aligned to the 17x United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 5: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”. For over 25 years, the IWG has led from a place of respect within the global system, working with partners including UNESCO, to connect and empower the thousands of people worldwide, working toward equality for women and girls. It developed and still remains guardian to the Brighton plus Helsinki 2014 Declaration, which now has the commitment of nearly 600 signatories worldwide, including the International Olympic Committee and FIFA. Every four years, the Secretariat moves to a new host country and the IWG World Conference on Women & Sport is staged. Previous event hosts include the UK (1994), Namibia (1998), Canada (2002), Japan (2006), Australia (2010), Finland (2014) and Botswana (2018). It typically attracts 1,200+ leaders from world sport and physical activity organisations, governments, development agencies (i.e. UNESCO), academia and the media. Hosting of the IWG is proven to deliver considerable benefits to women and girls in the host country.
Search “IWG Women & Sport” on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
