Progress toward sports board equality still entangled in Old Boys' network
Friday, 6 March 2020
Is your name Dave or Mike? Good for you, you've got as much chance of being on a major sports board as a woman has of chairing one.
Seven of the 32 National Sporting Organisation (NSO) boards of sports getting more than $50,000 in Government funding have female chairs.
On those boards sit seven men called David, and seven called Michael.
Those names, combined with Phil, Stephen, Matthew, John, Richard, Scott, Chris, Paul and Brent make up more than 30 per cent of seats around the sports boardroom tables.
**READ MORE:
* The strategic case for gender equity on sports boards
* Beatrice Faumuinā first Pasifika woman appointed to Sport NZ board
* Sport NZ to sports bodies - reach board gender equity or risk funding
* New Zealand Rugby's board no closer to diversity target after Wednesday's AGM**
That figure is important, as sports that receive more than $50,000 in Government funding are required to meet a quota of 40 per cent female representation on boards by December 2021, a policy outlined in the Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation Strategy released by the Government in 2018. Of the 32 NSOs receiving the funding, 50 per cent are yet to meet the quota.
If the quota is not met, organisations risk losing funding.
Of the largest sports bodies, New Zealand Rugby has one of the lowest representations of women on the board. Former Black Fern and current academic Dr Farah Palmer is the only woman on the NZR board.
Former Black Fern, MP and Women in Sport Aotearoa board member Louisa Wall said the lack of women on boards comes down to their constitutions, and the fact many sports, New Zealand Rugby included, are run by the 'old boys' network'.
'The problem is, and I'll be quite frank, there is an old boys' network and the network just likes to employ each other,' she said.
'The reality is there are competent women and women who would easily be able to be part of the governance of this [NZR] board.
'Sports bodies have constitutions that dictate the make up of a board. The NZR constitution needs to be 'amended'.
'Is there something in [NZR's] constitution that actually inherently, structurally prohibits the ability of women to be elected? I believe it's true for rugby.'
Wall acknowledged NZR had been working hard to reflect the communities that participate in rugby, particularly Māori and Pacifika, but women were still under represented.
'The reality about constitutional change… it's not an easy thing to go through because they need buy in from the [provincial] unions.
'It's not tokenism.'
Wall said the answer was to amend the constitution, creating additional opportunities.
'You keep the status quo, but you add to it, so people aren't threatened,' she said.
NZ Rugby board chair Brent Impey said the organisation changed its constitution in 2017 to 'open up opportunities for greater diversity'.
'New Zealand Rugby (NZR) is committed to creating opportunities for women at all levels of Rugby including governance,' he said.
'This year with four seats on our NZ Rugby Board available, we have a real focus on trying to increase female representation.'
NZR had now received more nominations 'than ever for women', which Impey said was 'encouraging'.
'Our growth in female player numbers – almost one in five players is female – provides even greater impetus to make sure we have diverse representation in governance, at every level of rugby,' he said.
Diversity is more than just about gender, Impey said.
'The diversity on rugby boards across New Zealand is also increasing, and currently 26 per cent of our board directors are diverse [gender and ethnicity],' he said.
'At NZ Rugby we view diversity in the wider sense, and cultural diversity is also really important to us.'
A number of sports bodies under the 40 per cent quota are going through constitutional changes, designed to increase the number of women appointed or elected to a board.
Among them are Squash NZ, Triathlon NZ, Indoor Bowls, the New Zealand Shooting Federation, Motorsport NZ and Motorcycling NZ, which has no female representation on its board.
Motorcycling NZ President Noel May said the organisation's constitution is a 'draconian system' and the lack of women is a 'big problem'.
But he's hoping to push through changes that would see equality on the board at the AGM in May.
Another big problem is women not putting their names forward for board roles.
Women are well represented at regional level but are not taking the step up to the top table, May said.
He is working with Sport New Zealand and 'shoulder tapping' women to stand for higher roles.
Lack of applicants for board roles also adversely affected Tennis NZ, said chief executive Julie Paterson.
'Tennis NZ was disappointed that we had no female nominations from regions in the last round of elections in October 2019, and we in fact dropped from three to two female board members,' she said.
'We have also advised the regional boards that we are seeking female nominations as a priority and that we will work to support any training, if required, for those they propose.'
The next Tennis NZ AGM is in October and Paterson is 'confident' the organisation will meet the 40 per cent quota 'if not this year, then most certainly next'.
Athletics NZ also has a lack of female applicants for roles, with just 25 percent of applications coming from women.
New Zealand Rugby League, which only has 12.5 per cent female representation on its board, has established a women-in-governance group to help reach the 40 per cent quota.
The NZRL is already a female-dominated workplace and more than 50 per cent of staff are Māori or Pacifika, NZRL chief executive Greg Peters said.
While the organisation obtained a female board member only recently, Peters said the NZRL has 'full buy-in' regarding the quota.
'It's the right thing to do,' he said. 'Sometimes you have to effect change.'
Badminton NZ also hasn't reached the quota yet, but chief executive Joe Hitchcock said the organisation is working closely with Women in Sport Aotearoa and a board internship has been established. Surf Lifesaving NZ also has an internship.
Hitchcock is adamant the quota will be met at the upcoming Badminton NZ AGM in two weeks.
'It's a total no-brainer,' he said. 'I'm 99 per cent sure it will be 42 per cent [female representation] and will grow as we continue to move forward and embrace it.'
Sport New Zealand, which oversees sport and recreation, is monitoring all sports bodies and board representation.
Sport NZ's own board has a high proportion of women on it.
In January, former Olympic discus thrower Beatrice Faumuinā became the first Pacifika woman appointed, taking the number of women to five.
Sport NZ CEO Peter Miskimmin said a number of boards were one or two female directors away from meeting the quota.
'We continue to help some partners, including providing guidance on succession planning and specialist recruitment support to help them attract and appoint female directors,' he said.
'Among our partners we see recognition of the need for strong, diverse and gender balanced leadership, and the belief that this will bring breadth of perspective, better decision-making and create stronger organisations.'
He acknowledged there were potential barriers and Sport NZ is 'working to address' them with the sports organisations.
Regarding the number of women putting themselves forward for board roles, he said there is not a 'supply issue'.
'In 2019 we ran a special programme to accelerate the increase of women directors on sport and recreation boards, and this identified around 250 qualified female candidates.'
Percentage of female representation on NSO boards that receive $50,000 or more in Government funding
0 Motorcycling NZ
12.5 New Zealand Rugby League
14 Surfing NZ
14 NZ Rugby
14 Athletics NZ
16 Motorsport NZ
20 New Zealand Shooting Federation
20 Squash NZ
25 Tennis NZ
25 Surf Lifesaving NZ
25 New Zealand Football
28 Triathlon NZ
28 Badminton NZ
28 Basketball NZ
33 NZ Indoor Bowls
37 New Zealand Cricket
40 Table Tennis NZ
…………… <<<<< 40% quota required by government by Dec 2021
42 Bowls NZ
42 Gymnastics NZ
42 Snow Sport NZ
42 Waka Ama
44 Touch NZ
44 Cycling NZ
45 Rowing NZ
50 Swimming NZ
50 Hockey NZ
50 Softball NZ
50 NZ Golf
55 Yachting NZ
57 Volleyball NZ
60 Equestrian Sports NZ
75 Netball NZ