Innovation Case Study: Gendering in a New Era in Sport Project
Mildura Rural City Council
Empowering Sporting Clubs to Create Safe and Inclusive Environments
Gendering in a New Era in Sport is a state-funded initiative empowering sporting-clubs to create safe and inclusive environments for women and gender-diverse individuals. The program combines education, training and auditing tools to identify gaps and implement actionable strategies. Since 2022, 26 clubs have participated, fostering systemic cultural change and improved governance.
2025 MAVlab Innovation Awards Finalist:
The Wellbeing Award for Community Health Impacts, supported by VicHealth.
Project statistics:
- 6 staff in the Recreation and Development Team
- Pilot program in July 2022
- Extended to June 2024: After early success with 6 clubs, the project was extended utilising the Preventing Violence Through Sport funding
- In June 2024 MRCC was granted a further 12-month extension under this funding
- The funding has now ended and the project is funded within Council’s operational budget.
Project goals:
- Empower local sporting clubs through workshops, resources and support to create safer, more inclusive environments for women and gender-diverse people
- Break down historical barriers to participation using equity audits, tailored action plans and ongoing education
- Encourage fair access to club resources — such as funding, uniforms and facilities — for all members
- Foster accountability and respect through bystander intervention training and proactive responses to inappropriate behaviour
- And strengthen community impact by using partnerships, digital resources and inclusive events to support long-term cultural change.
Challenge and context:
Mildura Rural City Council consistently ranks among the top four LGAs in Victoria for rates of family violence, with two to three times the number of police-attended incidents per 100,000 people compared to the state average. This alarming prevalence demands bold, community-led prevention approaches.
Sporting clubs present a unique opportunity to influence attitudes and behaviours across a broad cross-section of the community. However, many clubs remain male-dominated environments where harmful norms are reinforced and inequities overlooked. Shifting these entrenched cultures required a tailored, innovative approach.
Prior to this initiative, many local clubs had low female representation on committees. Women’s and junior girls’ participation rates were significantly lower, with anecdotal reports of barriers such as lack of change facilities, exclusion from decision-making, and inappropriate behaviours within clubs.
Key challenges included:
- Resistance from clubs: Some leaders expressed overt resistance to gender equity messaging. The project used values-based framing, emphasising benefits such as recruitment, club image, and access to grants. Leveraging equity champions within clubs also helped shift perspectives.
- Negative community attitudes: Broader scepticism framed gender equity as divisive. Local media was engaged to share success stories, reframing the narrative and building momentum.
- Geographic isolation: Mildura’s remoteness limited access to traditional training. Flexible delivery options were introduced, including online modules and a locally embedded project officer to provide accessible, high-quality, ongoing support.
The initiative prioritised inclusion for women and girls in underrepresented regional areas. Solutions were grounded in the local context and designed to be accessible to all. Through adaptive strategies and community-centred innovation, the project continues to drive meaningful cultural change.
Unlike past initiatives that relied on one-off training or a single equity lead, this approach embedded change within club systems, fostering peer accountability, shared responsibility, and long-term cultural shift.
Impact and outcomes:
To address gender inequality in local sport, we designed and delivered the Gendering in a New Era in Sport Project, supporting clubs to identify and reduce barriers for women and gender-diverse people. Our approach was grounded in co-design, recognising that sustainable change must come from within clubs.
Co-design involved Women’s Health Loddon Mallee, local family violence survivors, response organisations, Sport and Recreation Victoria, and local sporting groups. A Community Leadership Group and participation in networks such as Gender Equity Action Sunraysia and the 16 Days of Activism Group supported this process.
The project began with a voluntary expression of interest. Clubs completed a Gender Equity Audit and Member Experience Survey, followed by one-on-one sessions to unpack findings and develop tailored Action Plans. These plans addressed structural and cultural barriers, including access to facilities, leadership representation, and club culture. Support was provided through workshops and ongoing coaching.
This approach was innovative in its combination of practical tools, personalised support, and a whole-of-sport perspective framed within a local government setting. Rather than a top-down policy, the project embedded equity into clubs’ daily operations through achievable actions, encouraging clubs to lead the change.
Cross-department collaboration within Council, particularly between recreation and community wellbeing teams, ensured alignment and reduced duplication.
Accessibility and inclusion were prioritised from the outset. All communication used plain language, and both in-person and online engagement options were offered. Clubs were encouraged to consider the needs of women with disabilities, Indigenous backgrounds, CALD communities, and LGBTIQA+ people.
Unlike past initiatives that relied on one-off training or a single equity lead, this approach embedded change within club systems, fostering peer accountability, shared responsibility, and long-term cultural shift.
Scalability:
This initiative is designed for replication and regional expansion, with strong potential to scale across councils and networks. As a border council, Mildura is uniquely positioned to influence cross-jurisdictional sporting cultures, particularly in leagues spanning Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales, where aligned expectations around safety and inclusion are essential.
Through partnerships with Women’s Health Loddon Mallee and Mallee Sports Assembly, the project is already being shared across the Loddon Mallee region. Conversations are underway with other councils, including Bendigo Shire Council, to support local adaptation and meet Fair Access Policy requirements. The model offers a tested roadmap — including club engagement, audits, training, and policy alignment — that can be tailored to local needs.
The Safe and Inclusive Sport guide, developed by Sport and Recreation Victoria, includes case studies from this project and is available to councils statewide. Internally, the model has also supported Council departments in applying Gender Impact Assessments, including in the planning of recreation spaces such as parks and sporting reserves.
This initiative contributes directly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Goal 5: Gender Equality – challenging barriers to participation and leadership.
- Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities – embedding equity for LGBTIQA+ communities, Aboriginal people, CALD groups, and people with disabilities.
- Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – through prevention of violence and fostering inclusive communities.
By strengthening policy, culture, and collaboration, this initiative has the potential to create lasting regional change and empower councils across Victoria and beyond to champion gender equity in sport.