The State Government is continuing its commitment to gender equality, with an additional $150,000 in funding for its Raiise program. This new funding is helping local sports clubs to engage with gender equality assessments and planning after completing the initial Respectful Environments program.
This financial boost will help to conduct further sessions of the Raiise Respectful Environments program, getting an additional 20 sports and recreation organisations across the state involved. These groups will also be eligible to participate in the consecutive Raiise Gender Equality Assessment and Planning Program.
During the first phase of the Raiise initiative, approximately 2700 board members, coaches, players, volunteers, and officials from 75 clubs took part in 56 workshops that covered important topics such as challenging stereotypes and encouraging respectful behaviour.
The next step involves clubs undertaking a comprehensive Gender Equality Assessment and crafting a Gender Equality Action Plan. This year-long support from Raiise is designed to help sports clubs implement permanent changes that create equal opportunities and positive environments for women and girls. Ultimately, the goal is for all club participants to apply their new understanding to actively counteract disrespect and violence in sports.
Addressing gender inequality isn’t always easy, and can involve confronting harmful attitudes and potentially outdated club policies and practices. Clubs are encouraged to have a look at these areas to better support female participants and build a culture where everyone is able to advocate for gender equality.
Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, Katrine Hildyard shared, “The important work Raiise has been doing in educating young people has drawn overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants and is making a real difference i how our aspiring athletes treat each other and in how confident they feel about tackling disrespect and violence.
“We are getting on with the job of advancing gender equality by empowering sporting clubs to look at the ways their policies, culture and practices promote fairness, respect and safety and the role everyone can play in creating a safe and respectful future.
“I encourage clubs that have gone through the initial training to take this next step so that girls and women can thrive in sport and in their personal lives and so that boys and young men are confident in speaking up and acting for respect and equality.”
Ross Wait, Director of Raiise, also shared, “This next phase of the Raiise program ensures we can continue to build on the gender equality education we have already delivered to the 2,700 participants across South Australia. This extension of Raiise creates a pathway for those clubs to further develop their knowledge to create tangible changes in the way they approach respect and create a safe environment for women and girls.
“Clubs and organisations which provide an equal, welcoming and supported environment for women from governance to participation have better outcomes across the board, Raiise can help provide an actionable pathway to achieve this.”
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