Appendix 1 - Context of the inquiry


Appendix 1 - Context of the inquiry

The Committee acknowledges that this inquiry follows a large body of work over the last 25 years addressing the challenges facing women in sport and recreation.[382] These have included:

  • Fit To Play (1980), sponsored by the NSW Women's Advisory Council
  • Sport: Achieving the Ultimate Recognition (1985), Elizabeth Darlinson
  • Women, Sport and the Media (1985), Working Group on Women in Sport - Office of the Status of Women and the Australian Sports Commission
  • Girls' Achievement and Self Esteem: The contribution of physical education and sport (1985-87), Commonwealth Schools Commission
  • National Policy and Plan for Women in Sport (1987), Office of the Status of Women
  • Equity for Women in Sport (1991), Wendy Ey
  • Sportswomen Step Forward (1991), Conference conducted by the Australian Sports Commission
  • Halfway to Equal (1992), House of Reps standing committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
  • An Illusory Image: A Report on the media coverage and portrayal of women's sport in Australia (1996), Murray Phillips
  • National Policy on Women and Girls in Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity (1999), Australian Sports Commission

The Committee notes the various international and national instruments which impact on women in sport and recreation.

International instruments include:

  • Charter of the United Nations (1945)
  • Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations, 1948)
  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) 1979 (ratified by Australia, 1983)
  • Health Promotion — The Ottawa Charter (World Health Organisation, 1986) (Ottawa Charter)
  • Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 1995 (United Nations, 1996) (Beijing Platform for Action)
  • Brighton Declaration on Women and Sport (First World Conference on Women and Sport, 1994) (Brighton Declaration)
  • Jakarta Declaration on Leading Health Promotion into the Twenty-first Century (World Health Organisation, 1997) (Jakarta Declaration on Health), and
  • Windhoek Call for Action (Second World Conference on Women and Sport, 1998).

National instruments include the:

  • Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cwlth)
  • Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cwlth)
  • Affirmative Action (Equal Opportunity for Women) Act 1986 (Cwlth)
  • National Women’s Health Policy: Advancing Women’s Health in Australia (1989)
  • National Policy for the Education of Girls in Schools (1987)
  • Fourth United Nations World Conference on Women: Platform for Action — Australia’s Implementation Report (1997), and the
  • Charter of Public Service in a Culturally Diverse Society (1998).

The Committee notes:

the 1994 Brighton Declaration on Women and Sport is an international set of principles intended as a guide to increasing the involvement of women in sport at all levels. Australia is a signatory to the declaration. The Windhoek Call for Action is a declaration that arose from the Second World Conference on Women and Sport held in Windhoek, Namibia, in 1998. It reaffirms the principles established in the Brighton Declaration, acknowledges the need for greater cooperation and coordination between agencies and organisations responsible for women’s and girls’ issues, and seeks further development of equal opportunities for women and girls to participate fully in sport, recreation and physical activity.[383]

The Brighton Declaration is available here: http://www.iwg-gti.org/e/brighton/index.htm

The Windhoek Call to Action is available here: http://www.iwg-gti.org/pdfs/call_e.pdf

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