Before I begin today I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners, the Wurundgeri People, of the land on which we meet and I pay my respects to their elders past and present.
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Her Excellency, Governor General Quentin Bryce;
Ms Margot Foster, Chair?
Ms Patrizia Torelli, President of the World Sport and Women Organising Association Inc;
Mr Bernard Salt
Mr Ken Jacobs, Advisory Board Member
Conference delegates, including sport administrators from across the Asia Pacific Region;
Industry and Community leaders
Ladies and Gentlemen
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It is an honour to be here today at the 2012 Asia Pacific World Sport and Women Conference and to be in a room with so many inspirational women and men. ?
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Firstly, thank you for your commitment to promoting gender equality and women?s sport. The work all of you do in your own sectors is vital as we continue the fight for equality.
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2012 has been a fantastic year for women?s sport. ?The focus on the performance of female athletes at the London Games was as universal as it was strong.
The female members of our Australian team at the recent London Olympic and Paralympics really flew the flag for Australia, achieving personal bests, winning medals and representing our nation with pride. ?
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Their achievements rank along with the multiple world championships won throughout the year. Perhaps most importantly was the proliferation of articulate and inspiring role models for women of all ages that achieved high profiles through the year in Sport.
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As a Senator in the Federal Parliament for 16 years now, it is an honour to continue the work of generations of women to improve the status of women?s sport in Australia.
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This work included being a member of the Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee?s inquiry into women in sport and recreation in Australia in 2006.
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Over six months, the committee interviewed and listened to hundreds of people all around Australia and formulated the ?About time? Women in sport and recreation in Australia report.
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Not surprisingly, not much had changed since ?An Illusory Image? by Murray Phillips was published in 1996 which was the most useful Australian reference point for a comparative analysis.
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It was six years ago that ?About Time? was published. ? Today, I will be announcing new initiatives as part of the Government?s long awaited response as well as reflecting on the Labor ?Government?s work to date. The Government will be formally tabling our response to this Report in the coming week.
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First, I would like?to take stock of the developments in sport since 2006.
There is growing public awareness regarding the role of organized sport and recreation in tackling obesity and a growing trend of sedentary lifestyles, improving well being, physical health generally and importantly, mental health.
There has been a significant strengthening of sport a platform for social inclusion. I see this most clearly in my role as Minister for Multicultural Affairs. We have funded the new Multicultural Youth Sports Partnerships program and I have made the observation that it is through sport that often young refugees and migrants kids make their first friends outside of their family.
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The professionalisation of the large commercial sports continues apace.
And social media has created new and exciting dimensions to the sport experience.
There are substantial developments in the fight against performance enhancing drugs and Australia is leading the way in the fight agains match-fixing and corruption in sport in partnership with the states.
Recently we have had two $1 billion plus television rights deals for the AFL and NRL, a $2 million man in the A-League but we still have broadcasters trying it on with women?s sport to pay for production costs.
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But we haven?t seen much progress on what?s recognized as a vicious cycle of the lack of media coverage, which limits sponsorship and hinders revenue growth in sports that women play.
So,mback to the ?About Time? Report: First and foremost we recognised the need for better information, better data and stats to inform policy makers.
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A recommendation of the report was for the Australian Sports Commission to replicate the surveys and analysis performed in the 1996 Philips report.
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The report showed that in 1996, commercial television coverage of women?s sport was just 0.2 per cent, with non-commercial being at 20 per cent.
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In 2008-09 the revised statistics show that overall we have improved, but not by much, total coverage on television is still only 8.7 per cent.
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However, an interesting outcome showed that while in 2008/09 women?s sport only a minor place in TV coverage during the 2008 Beijing Olympics women?s coverage received 39 per cent of coverage, with mixed sport, equestrian and the like, receiving 19 per cent.
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So why is it once the Olympics and Paralympics are switched off, the gender stereotypes are switched back on? ?I must admit I am still perplexed as to why the ratings received during the Olympics do not change the mind of our broadcasting corporate decision makers.
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It goes like this: women?s sport needs sponsors to earn revenue to grow. ?Sponsors won?t come without exposure. Without an opportunity to broadcast there is no exposure, thus no sponsors and no revenue. ?
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Without revenue there is no ability re-invest in the grassroots of the sport, the players and the coaches. It takes away from the professionalisation of the sport and opportunities for future growth, not to mention a living wage for female athletes.
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Further, the content itself creates a revenue stream for the broadcasters through advertising. ?With a growth in advertising the rights of the broadcast values increases and the sale of the broadcast rights become an additional source of revenue for the sport.
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The key is the editorial decision the corporate decisions-makers make within broadcasters to invest and develop the content. ?
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It is because of these questions still being raised and the hard evidence provided, that my predecessor, Mark Arbib, launched the Women in Sport Media grants in 2010.
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The grants continue this year for an additional 2 years with more than $2.3 million available and a direct focus on 11 sports to improve the coverage and content value of women?s sport on Australian television.
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The issue of commercialisation is prevalent in women?s sport and I will reflect further on these issues shortly. First, I want to put these challenges into its broader context.
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The Gillard Government recognises that gender inequality is not a problem restricted to the sporting world. ?
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In 2012 we still fight the battle for equality and the tide is changing and with the vocal support of many, including prominent Australian men, we are moving in the right direction.
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As a Government, I am extremely proud of our record on promoting gender equality. ? We have committed to a minimum target of 40 per cent representation of women on government boards.
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Reforms to the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act will drive improved gender equality in the workplace. ?
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We supported the historic pay equity decision to improve the wages of Australia?s lowest paid workers in the social and community sector, which are mostly women.
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As a Government, we will contribute to the public sector component of this celebrated outcome.
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And we championed one the most historic reforms of the Labor Government with the introduction of Paid Parental Leave to support new mothers and enable them to maintain an attachment to the workplace.
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Our female Cabinet Ministers are excellent role models to all Australians in their promotion of gender equality in their respective portfolios.
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Within my own portfolio I am pleased with the progress and proud of the achievements and focus to date, however, there is always more to be done.
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In addition to the Women in Sport Media Grants, one of my first announcements as Minister for Sport was with my colleague, the Minister for the Status of Women, Julie Collins, encouraging women to apply for grants under the Sport Leadership Grants and Scholarships for Women program.
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Through these grants women in sport are provided with opportunities to undertake training to reach their leadership potential.
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Successful applicants can receive up to $5000 as an individual or $10,000 as an organisation and they are awarded for coaching, officiating, governance, management and administration and communications, media and marketing.
The Sport Leadership Grants and Scholarships for Women program and the Women in Sport Media Grants responded to recommendations 14 and 17 of the About Time Report.
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However many of the other recommendations that formed the conclusion of the report are still matters for concern.
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Many require engagement and commitment by a range of stakeholders, including National Sporting Organisations, State sports bodies and community clubs as well as State and Local Governments.
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The Australian Sports Commission currently has approximately 280 women on scholarships at the AIS and more than $4 million was provided in 2011/12 through the Direct Athlete Support scheme to our female elite athletes, representing about fifty percent of which is great to see and as we would hope and expect.
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However the support for women needs to improve beyond the area of grants and AIS scholarship positions.
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With the in-principle support of the new ASC chair, John Wylie, I have asked the Australian Sports Commission Board and the Commission to establish a new unit designed to further improve progress on this front.
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It is my hope that the unit will act as a central point for all National Sport Organisations andnother stakeholder bodies to seek advice, guidance and support on the promotion of women?s sport and gender equality.
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I am keen for it to have a focus on the commercial opportunities of women?s sport and to work with National Sporting Organisations to break the vicious cycle that hinders TV coverage, sponsorship and revenue growth in women?s sport.
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This includes working with sports to maximise the benefits for the recipients of Women in Sport Media Grants and the Sports Leadership Grants and Scholarships for Women.
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I can envisage the unit will continue to strengthen the role of the Commission in ensuring that when policies and programs are developed, from the grassroots to the elite level, gender equality is considered.
Looking back again to the year the ?About Time? Report was published, 2006, lets compare the commercial markets for women?s sport.
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There were six free-to-air networks, Facebook was only in its second year of existence, twitter had just been created and Foxtel?s market reach, including wholesale customers was close to 1.5 million people.
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In 2012 the media landscape has changed dramatically.
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We now have 16 free to air channels, foxtel?s subscriber base, including wholesale customers is close to 1.7 million people and Facebook and twitter are now mainstream forms of communication.
And the Federal Labor Government has begun the construction of the National Broadband Network, making universal high speed communications part of everyone?s future.
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Back in 2006, it was hoped that the advance of digital TV and multiple channels would increase the avenues available for women?s sport to be broadcast on free to air TV.
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But again, this seems to be an opportunity that has slipped us by.
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We know that when presented with the opportunity viewers vote with their remotes. ?
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There are the well known examples of the 2008 Silver Ferns v. Diamonds game out-rating a Bledisloe Cup decider between the Wallabies and the All Blacks and the Commonwealth Games gold medal netball match drawing 3 million views, again between the Diamonds and Silver Ferns. ?
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In 2011, the women?s football World Cup final between the United States and Japan created a social media record with 7,196 tweets per second being recorded. ?
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It is clear that when given the means to watch women?s sport viewers turn it on, but it is providing viewers with this opportunity that is the hardest part of the battle.
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And I must highlight an important distinction. ?This is not just women watching women?s sport, the campaign we must continue to have is about promoting a sport that while is played by women, is viewed and supported by all.
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This is an important distinction which extends from the lounge room to the board room.
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In both male and female sport we need to ensure gender quality is addressed, particularly in the board room. ?As my colleague, the Minister for Finance Penny Wong has said, ?If we are not utilising the capacity and talents of over half our population, then we?re holding ourselves back?
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Equally, the peak agency of diversity promotion, UN Women, has developed principles encouraging companies to have 30 per cent target for women in leadership or decision making roles. ?
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As mentioned earlier, the Government is committed to a 40 per cent target on Government boards.
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Many of our peak sporting bodies have progressed since 2006 in addressing gender equality on their boards, but positions are still in the substantial minority, with equality of board representation not yet achieved on most boards.
We can do much better than this and I commend to you the ASC Governance Guidelines and encourage continued improvement in women?s representation on boards and in management. It?s worth celebrating progress along the way and I note a few firsts in 2012 and congratulation the sports for this progress.
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It is my hope that in the future equality and representation at the top will be reflected throughout organisations and an internal focus on the commercial value of the sport that women play will lead to better outcomes for professional female athletes and women and girls participation in general.
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As sports lovers and active participants we need to continue to pressure broadcasters to improve their coverage of women?s sport. ?
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However, this pressure should not be confused with subsides. If we are to improve the coverage and commercial value of women?s sport is must be done in the same as manner as its male counterparts, through a solid business case and proven and ongoing results.
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We need our broadcasters to take a calculated risk and not only invest in the broadcasting, but the promotion of the sport within the media. ?
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You only have to look at the work being done by Women?s Health Magazine through their promotion of the I Support Women In Sport Campaign to see how a well thought out, correctly promoted campaign can provide commercial benefit to a company.
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The Government is firmly behind the campaign and I am proud today to announce that for the next two years the Gillard Government will sponsor the I Support Women In Sport award ceremony and in addition the 2012 ceremony will see the reestablishment of the Prime Minister?s Women in Sport Award for an athlete that has excelled in her chosen field. ?
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The Prime Minister is very much looking forward to deciding who will be the 2012 winner, and in this fantastic year for women?s sport, particularly with the Olympics and Paralympics, it will not be an easy choice.
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If we look at the year we?ve had to date we can see that women?s sport is moving in the right direction. Our Olympic and Paralympic heroes and now our Southern Stars show there is so much to celebrate
The opening symbol of our Olympic Campaign was Lauren Jackson and we must ensure that the traction received by our female athletes at the Olympics and Paralympics continues.
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The majority of the stars from the Opals will be dominating in the WNBL over the summer and our best and brightest football stars will be competing in the W-League.
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We need to continue to vote with our remote, encourage our friends and family to tune in and watch our elite women compete. ?
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We are in an exciting time for women?s sport and we need to ensure that as many Australian?s as possible can experience it.
The inspiration provided fuels the next generation of participants and it?s this complete system of Australian sport that allows us to achieve great things.
This conference is an opportunity to strengthen the status and systems for half or our population in the policy, presentation and programs of sport in Australia. Because to do so strengthens all of sport and this is good for all Australians.?
And strong sport in Australia means we can do more in our region: collaborate with our international partners; be an effective contributor to the global movement that recognises and gives effect to sport being the most effective platform for social inclusion and health and well being.
I?look forward to hearing the outcomes of this timely and important conference.?
Once again, thank you for the work you have done and continue to do.
And thank you for the opportunity to speak here today.
Source: http://www.katelundy.com.au/2012/10/08/asia-asia-pacific-world-sport-and-women-conference-2012/
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