Minerva’s Sports Governance Program is aligned with the launch of National Gender Equity in Sport Governance Policy announced yesterday by the Australian Government.
The Government’s announcement confirmed the ambition to achieve greater gender balance on the boards of national sporting organisations. This policy marks a significant step towards promoting diversity and inclusion at the highest levels of sports governance in Australia.
Central to the policy are gender equity targets that have been set for the governance of national and state-level sport bodies. In essence, the sports industry is encouraged to reach the following standards by 1 July 2027:
This policy comes in response to the persistent under-representation of women in sports leadership roles. Currently, 62% of funded national organisations reach the required standard of gender diversity in board directors, while only 25% of national sporting organisations, and national sporting organisations for people with disability are chaired by a woman. ASC Chair Kate Jenkins AO said, “As someone who has worked in the gender equity and inclusion space for decades, today’s announcement is an important step for the sport sector. I’m optimistic about the positive impact the policy will have for sport at all levels.”
Minerva Chair and Co-Founder Christine McLoughlin AM endorses having equal representation on sporting organisation boards, but also encourages all sports to ensure the appropriate skills and experience are around the board table, which is why the Minerva Sports Governance Program was established in 2023.
The Minerva Sports Governance Program aims to change the game by driving diversity in the broadest possible way in the business of Sports Governance.
“At Minerva, we identified this as a significant gap in our endeavours to support women’s sport. Our established Sports Governance Program is ideally positioned to support the implementation of this policy by providing a pipeline of qualified, experienced women ready to take on these crucial roles. In addition, our Minerva Sports Governance Program has a range of resources, practical tools and development programs that will be available to sporting organisations so they can meet their diversity targets whilst ensuring a skills based board.
“Through Minerva’s longstanding work in bringing together the worlds of sports and business, we can drive meaningful change. We look forward to continuing our work with sporting organisations to build stronger, more representative boards that will shape the future of Australian sport."
Coinciding with the Australian Government announcement, Minerva Network’s Sports Governance forum discussing the role of sports chairs and boards brought together leading women in business and sport and sportswomen from across Australia who are interested in stepping into sports governance roles.
The panel discussion featured highly experienced sporting board directors: former Melbourne Football Club President Kate Roffey AM; Seek MD & CEO and Chair of NZ Rugby Commercial Ltd Ian Narev; WIN Network CEO and St George Illawarra Dragons Chair Andrew Lancaster; Chair of Sydney University Sport & Fitness and Venues NSW Director Jane Spring AM; and Deputy Chair of Football NSW and Venues NSW and Volleyball NSW board director Stephanie Brantz.
The event was well attended with a combination of 120 in person and online and was generously hosted by the team at QBE. Discussions highlighted the distinct separation between the Chair and CEO roles, providing guidance with strategic oversight and governance. The conversation also underscored the unique challenges of working within the sports sector, where stakeholders are often deeply passionate and provide extensive feedback, sometimes creating a dynamic atmosphere in board meetings. Managing crises, especially under the scrutiny of the media, was another key topic, with the notion that culture is truly defined by how an organisation and its leaders respond when things go wrong. The Chair’s leadership during such times is pivotal in maintaining trust and steering the organisation through turbulent periods.
With more than 350 experienced women leaders at the top of their game in business and governance, and more than 800 professional women athletes from 76 different sports in the network, Minerva Network looks forward to supporting the gender equity in sports policy.
