$1.2 million has been allocated on behalf of Football Victoria (FV) towards the “Preventing Violence through Sports Grants Program”, for the continuation of 12 community-based sporting projects across the state to occur.
As confirmed by Prevention of Family Violence Minister Vicki Ward, and Community Sport Ministers Ros Spence, it will ensure that football has its place within the community.
Each respective minister will strive towards the mitigation and resolution of violence amongst families.
A supportive body under the umbrella of Football Victoria, Victorian University and Regional Sport Victoria, is a designated support team designated towards the installation of projects addressing structural and cultural hurdles experienced by multicultural communities, females and non-binary people through the participation of sports.
Football Victoria’s involvement within the Change Makers supportive initiative is exercised frequently. Within the football community, it is imperative that inclusivity is at the forefront upon all aspects for football to be a game for all to enjoy, succeed and prosper within.
The programs in which FV offer in collaboration with Change Makers are commonly in the prevention of violence. Changing attitudes, behaviours and patterns all correlated with violence are implemented in order to build a safer football community. In which has the prosperity to have further change upon a wider community.
Executive Manager of Equity, Growth, and Inclusion at Football Victoria, Karen Pearce OAM emphasised the need for additional funding to support their ongoing efforts said via press release:
“We are indebted to the Victorian Government’s funding, so we can continue to persist in producing enabling environments through education and training delivered in partnership with Victorian University and Regional Sport Victoria, and not lose the momentum of gains already achieved,” she said.
“As an organisation, we have learnt that all our equity work must be overlaid with a primary prevention approach that establishes the expectation that gender equality must be considered and prioritised in all current and future planning, service delivery and practice.”
Fiona McLachlan, Associate Director Research Training at Victoria University, celebrated the news.
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Football Victoria to support their sector-leading gender equity work. We have made a very conscious decision to work with Football Victoria for their openness to adopt research-informed and whole-of-sport approaches to preventing gender-based violence,” she added via press release.
The Change Makes program is created to assist clubs in the analysis of their environments, allowing for the identification and termination of aspects within the club that showcase inequity.
Showcased through a tangible evidence-based approach, education towards change can occur.
Furthermore, the drive in achieving gender equality can continue to drive in a forward direction throughout the analysis process.
Change makers have already established quite the presence within Victorian sport. FV, in collaboration with the supportive body, have successfully challenged and created necessary change within multiple facets of sport across the state.
Primarily, gender equality has remained at the forefront of their ongoing efforts, with the body acting as a means for change to entrenched, outdated practices the world has moved on from.
