Sports bodies finding impossible to get 40% women in boards: NZ Minister

Getting more women in sports governance roles before a 2021 deadline is proving difficult, says the Sports Minister Grant Robertson. He revealed that some national sports organizations (NSOs) have shared their concerns about not meeting the target of 40 per cent women on all of their boards in the next two years. "Some sports are going to have to be supported and encouraged through it. There is a lot of work between Sport NZ and the NSO boards on how its going to happen."

Sport NZ had set a target for all sports organizations to have a minimum of 40 per cent of each gender on all their boards, six months ago. Moreover, its one of the priorities spelled out in the government's Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation strategy after a 2017 survey found that women represented just over a quarter of the directions on sports boards throughout the country. Failure to reach the 40 per cent ratio could affect a sport's future funding from the government - a matter that will come up for discussion in Sport NZ's investment decision rounds next year. The Sports Minister said the greatest 'activity and energy' has been around governance, particularly the board gender target. "It has been raised with me by quite a few NSOs - some who feel they are making progress, but are worried they won't get to 40 per cent, and others are looking for the 'how' of doing that."