Cash boost for sports women
South West Football League general manager John Vidos has welcomed the State Government’s announcement of funding to ensure women’s participation levels in sport are not held back by a lack of facilities.
Last week Sport Minister Mick Murray announced that women's sport would benefit from a new $250,000 annual fund to enable the State's grassroots clubs to revitalise change rooms and other facilities to accommodate booming participation levels.
Mr Vidos said the league would be keen to look at any options to upgrade its facilities.
“We are keen to engage with women’s football at a more complete level at the moment,” he said.
“We are having to manage and juggle changerooms to ensure women get their privacy when it is their turn to play.
“Obviously these funds couldn’t come quickly enough from a South West Football League point of view.”
Mr Murray said the $250,000 per year fund would come from the Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund.
“For too long, women and girls have been treated as second class citizens when it comes to wanting to pull the boots on and play social sport,” he said.
“Having a decent place to change clothes and prepare for a match should be a basic right for anyone playing sport. It is not acceptable for women to be told to get changed in the car or wait until they get home to have a shower.
“Having a dedicated space to prepare for a match together is important for the camaraderie and friendship that people get from social sport and work needs to be done to make sure decent facilities are in place.”
Of WA’s 76 community-level AFL facilities with women's teams, only 53 per cent have unisex or dedicated women's options.
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