GRIFFITH UNIVERSITYWOM E N I N SPORT
Strategic Plan 2022–2026

Dani Stevens
Master of Secondary Education
2020 Tokyo Olympic Games athlete

Skye Nicolson
Bachelor of Education
2020 Tokyo Olympic Games athlete
Gold medallist at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games

CON T E N TS

T H E ST R AT EG I C P L AN
Executive summary

1

Background3

Vision, mission and aims

4

Strategic alignment and key drivers

5

Griffith University context

7Strategic plan12

Madison de Rozario
Bachelor of Business2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games athlete
Two-time Paralympic Gold medallist

E X EC U T I V E SU M M ARY

Through the implementation of this Women in Sport Strategic Plan, Griffith seeks
to grow opportunities for all women in sport.
Griffith leads all Australian universities in the support of elite athletes, and elite
women make up some of our most decorated athletes. Griffith is also a leader in thedelivery of sport, sport education, sporting research and sport services, with focusedexpertise in women in sport across research fields including sports performance,
sports management, sociology and health.
The Women in Sport Strategic Plan sits alongside the Griffith Sport Strategy andfocuses on improving gender equity—narrowing in on the unique opportunities specificto women’s participation, pathways, performance, research and leadership in sport.
Successful and impactful delivery of this strategy will see a multifaceted program
delivered in a coordinated manner by Griffith and the sport industry to create:• increased opportunities for all women in sport• improvements in the performance of female athletes and teams in Australia• more leadership roles for women in sport• social and behavioural changes in our communities.

Strategic Plan 2022–2026 | 1

“I would not have been able to complete my degree
without the Griffith Sports College. Their support has beenamazing and I would not have managed my swimming anduniversity without their help. The Swimming Australia,
QAS and Griffith high-performance partnership was also
incredible for me, allowing me to move to the Gold Coastand focus on my swimming while completing my degree.”
Emma McKeon AM
Bachelor of Public Health2020 Toyko Olympic Games athlete
Five-time Olympic Gold medallist

2 | G R I F F I T H U N I V E R S I T Y WOME N I N S P ORT

BAC KG R OU N D

We have seen a significant shift in the contributions of women in sport over the past decade, both on and off the field.
The presence of women’s elite sport in Australia has made leaps and bounds,
from a modest community profile to lucrative television deals and national
headline news. Global events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games haveenabled female athletes to shine and become household names, while the2018 Commonwealth Games also championed gender equity in sport, with equal
opportunity for medals among female and male athletes. Despite these advances,
sport in Australia is still not an equitable place for female athletes.
Sport Australia’s Sport 2030 paper states, ‘Women and girls are less likely tobe active in ways which maintain or improve their health compared to men
and boys.’ In addition to the above-mentioned global multi-sport events,
the recent growth of national leagues for women including NRLW, AFLW,
Super W, Super Netball, A-League Women and WBBL has been inspirational
to the nation’s younger generation, acting as a launchpad for young women
dreaming to compete at a national level and become the next household name.
‘There’s nothing like sport as a force for social change and good.
The awe-inspiring rise in women’s sport and para-sport in the past decade
has changed community perceptions and led broader societal changes,’
Sport 2030 states.

The pay gap between genders in sport is also narrowing. While some sports
are lagging, others, including tennis, are leading the way with all four
Grand Slam events having offered equal prize money for some time now,with the last tournament stepping up in pay equality after 2007. Recently,
Queensland Rugby League announced a pay parity deal for the women’s
State of Origin team, which means they will now receive the same amount ofmoney as the men’s team. While Olympic and Paralympic sports have equitabletraining grants and funding for male and female athletes, national leagues arestill slowly catching up in closing significant pay gaps. Access to sponsorship andother marketing opportunities for elite sportswomen is also still well behind theirmale counterparts.
Sport is still far from equitable. We see big disparities in access to sport servicing,facilities, coaching, media coverage, marketing, resources and opportunities
for sportswomen. There’s also a significant disparity of opportunity for women
wanting careers in sport, such as leading sport organisations and board
representation, as well as officiating and administering sport. This strategy
aims to address and positively influence these inequalities.

Strategic Plan 2022–2026 | 3

Liz Clay
Bachelor of Business2020 Tokyo Olympic Games athlete

V I S I ON , M I S S I ON AN D A I M S

V I S I ON

AIMS

The Griffith Women in Sport Strategy will
drive athlete performance, education, researchand leadership to improve outcomes for
women in sport.

The aims of this strategy:
1. Develop Griffith University as an independentand influential leader in sport, specifically womenin sport.
2. Encourage and support strong female
representation in the Elite Athlete Program.

M I S S I ON
To disrupt gender stereotypes in sport inorder to maximise opportunities for womento participate, excel and lead sport at all levels.

3. Support and develop influential leaders in womenin sport.
4. Promote and foster partnerships and community
activities for women in sport.
5. Become a catalyst for positive social change
throughout sport and in communities.
6. Attract investment to drive growth and outcomesof this Women in Sport Strategy.

4 | G R I F F I T H U N I V E R S I T Y WOME N I N S P ORTST R AT EG I C A L I G N M E N T
At Griffith we understand that equity, diversity,and inclusion is our strength. The Griffith Womenin Sport Strategy embraces diversity and inclusion
with an intersectional perspective to ensure that
all women are provided with safe, supportiveand productive environments within sport.
We are committed to social justice and see theUnited Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) as one powerful articulation of these values.
Griffith’s Women in Sport Strategy links directly tofive key strategic priorities relating to women in
sport identified as areas where Griffith University
can have a positive impact on outcomes for all
women in sport.
These five key areas are all interlinked, interrelated
and adaptive to industry needs.

K E Y DR I V E R S
These strategic priorities are listed below anddetailed in the next section, along with specificprogram aims.
• Elite Athlete Program—recruit, supportand retain elite female athletes and provide
opportunities for their growth in highperformance sport.
• Research—support research across Griffith thatis innovative and diverse, and provides positive
outcomes for women in sport.
• Partnerships and engagement—build andsupport partnerships and engagement withindustry and community specifically to advanceoutcomes for women in sport.
• Education and leadership—grow and support
opportunities for women in leadership roles
in sport.
• Social and community impact—leverageadvancement through this Women in Sport
Strategy to connect with community and havepositive social impact.

The following key drivers represent areas ofstrength, opportunity, investment and resourcesthat exist or are integral to advance this Women inSport Strategy.
• Griffith’s expertise in female elite athlete support• Research excellence in women in sport• Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games• 2023 Women’s Football World Cup• State and national focus on women in sport via
AIS and QAS investment• Increase in women’s professional sport investment
and coverage• Community sport participation increase• Community interest in gender equity issues• Griffith’s legacy in partnering with Gold Coast2018 Commonwealth Games• Griffith’s core principles of excellence, ethicalbehaviour and engagement• Local, state and federal government initiatives.

Strategic Plan 2022–2026 | 5

6 | G R I F F I T H U N I V E R S I T Y WOME N I N S P ORTGRIFFITH UNIVERSITYCON T E X T
An investment in sport, particularly supporting womenin sport, is not new for Griffith University. Griffith excels
in support of high-performance athletes and women in
sport research.
Griffith University leverages key strategic partnerships in our pursuit to advanceoutcomes for women in sport, including:• Australian Jillaroos• Gold Coast Suns AFLW team
• Gold Coast Titans NRLW team
• Surfing Australia• Swimming Australia.

Strategic Plan 2022–2026 | 7

G R I F F I T H S PORTS S C I E N C E
Griffith Sports Science promotes performance pathways, preserves athletic
development and optimises performance using innovative methodologies
and emerging technologies within a scientific environment.
The Griffith Sports Science research group has maintained a strong commitment
to research in active girls, women and female athletes since 2002. Collectively,
the group is known nationally and internationally for research that examines
the unique locomotor movement patterns of women in sport and the effectof female sex steroids on athletic performance. Numerous current and past
Griffith Sports Science higher-degree research students have completed
their studies embedded in Australian high-performance sport organisations.
These context-specific partnerships provide avenues for vigorous academic
research and direct applied sports science translation.

SP ORT AN D G E N DE R EQU I T Y ( S AG E )Griffith University is also a national leader in women and sport research,with key expertise in health, sport science and sociology. We are host to theSport and Gender Equity (SAGE) research group and are one of only a few
Australian universities attracting externally competitive research funding in thisarea. We also provide research consultancy advice and services to a range ofsport organisations in gender equity, leadership and performance.

Associate Professor Clare Minahan
and Rosie Malone
Bachelor of Sport Development
2020 Tokyo Olympic Games athlete
8 GRIF F I T H U N I V E R S I T Y WOME N I N S P ORT

E L I T E AT H LE T E SU P PORT
Griffith is recognised as the national leader in support of student athletes.
Griffith was the No. 1 Australian university for student athletes at the2016 Rio Olympics, 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2020 Tokyo Olympics
and 2020 Paralympics. The results of our athletes in the 2016 Olympics placed
Griffith in the top 10 of all universities in the world and the outstanding resultsfrom Tokyo would place us much higher.
At the Tokyo Olympics, Griffith athletes represented almost 10 per cent of
the overall Australian Olympic team, with 34 student athletes and nine alumni
competing. Of the 43 Griffith athletes competing at the Olympics, an incredible
72 per cent were women. The team performance was exceptional, with Griffith
athletes taking home a total of nine gold, one silver and nine bronze medals.
Of these 19 medals, female athletes won 13, including seven gold.
The Tokyo Paralympics saw nine Griffith student and alumni athletes competing.
Gender balance was at just under 50 per cent women and Griffith athletes madeup 5 per cent of the Australian Paralympic Team. Griffith athletes won six gold,
one silver and three bronze
Our support of elite athletes has been developed over many years.
Griffith now boasts alumni of more than 82 Olympians, 13 Paralympians and
60 Commonwealth Games athletes, including numerous Olympic medallists,
Commonwealth Games medallists, world champions and world record holders.
Griffith also has many alumni competing at elite levels in sports including rugby
league, Australian rules football, netball, football, cricket and rugby union.
The Women in Sport Strategy will provide a framework for Griffith to extend ourexisting support for elite sportswomen studying at Griffith and to leverage andcoordinate other work promoting women in sport at Griffith.

Beryl Friday
Bachelor of Education

Strategic Plan 2022–2026 | 9

Fiona Sessarago
Bachelor of Exercise Science Master of Sport Management
Head of Women’s Football, Gold Coast Suns

10 | G R I F F I T H U N I V E R S I T Y WOME N I N S P ORTSP ORT M AN AG E M E N T
Griffith’s sport management faculty prioritise focusing on women in sport
across their teaching, and in their internationally renowned research.
The sport management major has been developed to cover important topics
such as pursuing gender equity both in and through sport, the challenges
facing sportswomen and women pursuing careers in the sport industry,and how women’s sport can best grow commercially. As part of the major,
Griffith students are presented with authentic and innovative assessments
encouraging them to think critically about how they can change perceptions,attitudes and norms to open opportunities for women across grassroots,
community and elite sport contexts. Similarly, the sport management faculty
are at the forefront of publishing industry-relevant research examining issues
including women’s participation in community and high-performance sport,
the branding and monetisation of women’s sport, and creating opportunities
and pathways for women in sport leadership.

Strategic Plan 2022–2026 | 11

Kiri Lingman
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)

G R I F F I T H U N I V E R S I T Y WOM E N I N S PORTST R AT EG I C P L AN 2022–2026
ELITE ATHLETESR E S E AR C HContinue to recruit, support, develop
and retain elite female athletes andprovide opportunities for their growthin high-performance sport.

Support research across Griffith
that is innovative and diverse,
and provides positive outcomesfor women in sport.

• Support high-performance female athletes indual career balance, supporting their academic
and sporting goals.

• Collaborate with industry partners to identify
multidisciplinary research opportunities.

• Identify high-performance programs for
women through which Griffith can support
their pathways to national teams.
• Support elite female athletes with regularservicing, performance testing and accessto facilities.
• Continue to work with AIS, NIN and NSO
network to provide academic pathways to
Griffith for sportswomen.
• Maintain alumni database and connections
to build engagement opportunities.
• Work with sports and our network to provide
women in sport scholarships andeducation grants.
• Work with sport industry to provide more
opportunities to develop Indigenous
women’s sport.

12 | G R I F F I T H U N I V E R S I T Y WOME N I N S P ORT• Secure grant funding from government,
industry and other partners to further
interdisciplinary and high-quality womenin sport-specific research.
• Use women in sport research to impact on
performance outcomes for female athletes
and teams and the wider sports industry.
• Link with other universities and sports
industry to create collaborative
female-specific research opportunities.
• Collaborate with partners and industry toprovide knowledge, learning and teaching
opportunities for sport-related higher
degree research.
• Create career pathways for female
researchers in the area of women in sport.

Drive athlete performance, education, research and leadership to improveoutcomes for all women in sport.
PART N E R S H I P S
AN D E N G AG E M E N T

E DUC AT I ON
AN D LE ADE R S H I P

S O C I A L AN D
COM M U N I T Y I M PAC T

Build and support partnerships
and engagement with industry andcommunity specifically to advanceoutcomes for women in sport.

Grow and support opportunities andpathways for women in leadershiproles in sport.

Leverage advancement of women in
sport to connect with community anddeliver positive social impacts.

• Provide internal, multidisciplinary, learning andteaching opportunities and experiences for
women in sport-related study and leadership.

• Partner with key social change organisations
and programs to support gender equity andcontribute towards a reduction in violence.

• Provide postgraduate and executive leadershipeducation to advance equity in sport.

• Deliver social benefits from increased
support and recognition of women in sport.

• Innovate to recognise women in leadershiproles, e.g. micro-credentials, digital badges,
short courses.

• Leverage sport’s ability to make a positive
difference in communities, supporting
and recognising women in sport.

• Encourage greater representation of womenon sport boards and in leadership roles.

• Work to build community awareness of
Griffith and its success in sport.

• Leverage opportunities within the system toadvance women within the sporting industry,including in coaching.

• Develop Indigenous women and girls’
sport programs, impacting both growth
and retention.

• Source scholarships for education grants.

• Directly address gender inequalities in sport
including pay equity and participation.

• Partner with like-minded organisations
progressing outcomes for women in sport.
• Explore industry opportunities in women’s
sport, particularly around Brisbane 2032
and the lead-up to this home Games.
• Assist in delivering sporting-related
sponsorships and partnerships with private,public and government sector partners.
• Partner with professional sports to improveoutcomes in women’s professional teams,
where inequity between genders is greater.
• Delivery of high-performance camps andprograms for women in sport.
• Explore opportunities to create a
Griffith University-based national centreof excellence for women in sport.

• Provide internal mentorship opportunities,
advancing women in sport, alongside external
mentorship for sportswomen to excel
personally and professionally.

• Contribute towards the wellbeing and mental
health of women and girls in sport.

Strategic Plan 2022–2026 | 13

“Griffith University has played a key role in the transition of thewomen’s rugby league landscape over the past five years. We areindebted for their support, research and resources, which havetransitioned the female game from amateur to semi-professionalin such a short period of time. The research and support given has
assisted the evolution of the female game to ensure rules, gamestatistics analysis, injury surveillance and prevention are key in alldecision-making.
“The Jillaroos have benefited greatly from our partnership, with accessto Griffith’s state-of-the-art high-performance gym and medical
facilities. Expertise and research in the area of women’s health has not
only seen individual and team preparation, performance and recovery
practices become world-class, but allowed Griffith staff and students
to progress into roles within our sport.
“Currently, two of our 11 Jillaroos staff members started out as
Griffith students. These students and others have progressed fromassisting with testing and research to NRLW, State of Origin and to
the Jillaroos. Access and assistance from Griffith staff and students
has allowed us to capture valuable athlete information and learnings.
Our relationship has been crucial in the Jillaroos’ reign as world
champions and their five-year undefeated record.”“We look forward to our continued partnership with
Griffith to ensure the women’s game and the Jillaroos
continue to thrive.”

Brad Donald
Jillaroos Head Coach
14 G R I F F I T H U N I V E R S I T Y WOME N I N S P ORT

Georgia Brown
Sports Scientist
Griffith Alumnus

Tayla Relph
Bachelor of Journalism“Having lived experience in the Australian high-performance sportsystem as both athlete and sport administration leader, it’s clear wework in a system where male domination in leadership is entrenched.
The quality of leadership in high-performance (HP) sport is criticalto outcomes in this competitive industry, and my experience in thesystem is we can improve the accessibility of the full talent pool toincrease diversity.
“It’s recognised that a system-wide, coherent approach will be
required to achieve gender diversity aspirations in HP roles. We havesome phenomenal women working in all areas of our sport industry
who simply need an opportunity and who require support to build
their capability.
“I acknowledge the work that Griffith University is doing in thewomen in sport leadership space. This strategy helps raise awareness,
influences change, drives the implementation of new initiatives, andlooks for ways to partner with the system to improve the landscape.”“I have worked with the leadership team at Griffith
University in my sport partnership roles for a long periodof time now.
“The strategic lens they look through is purpose-driven
and performance-focused in what’s best for sport andwhat’s best for the sport high-performance system andwider community sector.”

Kim Crane
Paddle Australia National
Performance Director

CRICOS No. 00233E

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