Purpose

The Policy provides a management framework for North Bankstown Soccer Club to address barriers experienced by women and girls in accessing and using community sport infrastructure. The purpose is to ensure all voices, concerns, and experiences are an integral dimension of the design, implementation, and monitoring of policies and programs.

Background

Sport and active recreation are an important part of our communities. Football, at a grassroots or elite level, can be a vehicle for community identity and pride and can strengthen social networks and build a sense of belonging for participants.

The success of the Matildas at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup captured the heart of the Australian community and emphasised the need for an improved experience for our female footballers at a community level. North Bankstown Soccer Club wants to leverage this momentum to increase opportunities and participation rates for women and girls in football.

However, we understand that women and girls across NSW do not currently have equal access to community sport and recreation. It is still common for facilities to be poorly designed to meet the expectations of women and girls, and men and boys are often given the best training times and allocated to the newest facilities.

Statement of Intent

This Statement of Intent establishes the expectation that gender equality is considered and prioritised in all current and future planning, policy, service delivery and practice as they relate to community sports infrastructure.

North Bankstown Soccer Club recognises that gender equality is:

• The attainment of equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of women, men, trans and gender diverse people
• The provision of fairness and justice in the distribution of benefits and responsibilities based on gender

Six Guiding Principles

1. Community sports infrastructure and environments are genuinely accessible, welcoming, safe, and inclusive
2. Women and girls can fully participate in all aspects of community sport and active recreation, including as a player, coach, administrator, official, volunteer and spectator
3. Women and girls will have equitable access to and use of community sport infrastructure:
   • Of the highest quality available and most convenient
   • At the best and most popular competition and training times and locations
   • To support existing and new participation opportunities
4. Women and girls should be equitably represented in the sport sector workforce including in leadership and governance roles
5. Encourage and support all user groups to understand, adopt and implement gender equitable access and use practices
6. Prioritise access, use and support to user groups who demonstrate an ongoing commitment to gender equitable practices

Scope

The Policy applies to the following community sport infrastructure/facilities managed and used by North Bankstown Soccer Club:

The Policy applies to:

• Any North Bankstown Soccer Club and Football NSW policies, programs, communications, and services as they relate to community sports infrastructure
• Any involvement in the design, construction of new and improved and ongoing maintenance of community sport infrastructure
• All community sports infrastructure managed and maintained by North Bankstown Soccer Club

Compliance and Monitoring

North Bankstown Soccer Club commits to:

• Undertake Gender Impact Assessments (GIA) on all current facility and field of play access and use policies
• Develop an Action Plan to remove barriers and improve gender equitable access
• Monitor metrics and qualitative measures of stakeholder and cultural change
• Report on broader societal and cultural change

Related Policies and Legislation

• North Bankstown Soccer Club Strategic Plan
• North Bankstown Soccer Club Participation Plan
• Football Australia's Gender Equality Action Plan
• Football Australia's XI Principles for the future of Australian football
• FA One Football Strategy 2022-2026 Women's Football Development Guide
• Football NSW Facility Guides
• NSW Football Infrastructure Strategy 2020-2030

Acknowledgements

North Bankstown would like to acknowledge the following assistance in the development of this policy.

The Office of Sport would like to acknowledge the work of Office for Women in Sport and Recreation, Sport and Recreation Victoria and VicHealth. The Office of Sport's Equitable Access and Use Policy template has been developed in line with work undertaken as part of Victoria Government's Fair Access Policy.