World Sailing Trust release Women in Sailing Strategic Review
The World Sailing Trust is pleased to release its
Strategic Review into Women in Sailing, a report that explores gender
balance and makes a case for change to address disparities within the
sport.
Click here for the full Women in Sailing Strategic
Review.
Announced on International Women’s Day 2019, the Strategic Review forms
part of the Trust’s Access to Sailing work and focuses on increasing
gender diversity across the sport. The document provides insight from
4,500 respondents aged 11-83 from 75 nations with a variety of experience
across the sport. Respondents’ backgrounds vary from dinghy and keelboat
sailors with offshore and inshore experience to Member National
Authorities, Class Associations, Race Officials, volunteers and event
organisers.
On the release of the review, Dee Caffari, Chair of the World Sailing
Trust commented, “We understood anecdotally and through observation that
there are fewer girls and women in sailing then boys and men.
Discrimination existed but there was no fact-based evidence to support
this claim.
“The 4,500 responses backed up our concerns and provided a deep,
purpose-driven insight into the issues we currently face with gender
diversity in sailing.
“The report does not look to replace male sailors with females or compare
both sexes against each other. Nor is it for those looking to prove a
point or talk about what should have been.
“If we want our sport to progress and move forwards then we need to
consider 50% of the population otherwise we are going to be left behind.
This is for all of us to take forwards into the future with a
collaborative and cohesive approach to make the sport stronger.”
Of the 4,500 respondents, 80% of female and 56% of male respondents
believed that gender balance is an issue in sailing. This belief
intensified with age and is prominent globally. The key trends identified
by the respondents include issues around a lack of female participation
and support for women and girls as well as a poor perception about women
in sailing, particularly racing.
Insightful experiences of discrimination were shared by respondents and
it was found that 59% of females and 14% of males had experienced some
form of discrimination within the sport. These ranged from isolation and
harassment, being treated as less competent, not receiving the same
opportunities and level of support as male sailors and being stereotyped
by gender.
Supported by Andrew Pindar OBE DL, the survey, run by Qualtrics and
supported by SAP, was offered in five languages – English, French,
Spanish, Portuguese and Japanese. Alongside the 4,500 responses, nearly
40 one-on-one interviews were conducted to provide a deeper and richer
insight into discrimination within sailing. Furthermore, case studies
from Badminton, Golf, Cycling, Rowing, Rugby League, Rugby Union and
Football were explored.
Authored by Vicky Low, the report brings together all of the findings and
is supplemented by discussions and interviews with numerous stakeholders
within international sailing and sport. To address the disparities within
sailing, the report also identifies nine recommendations to balance the
playing field.
These recommendations include:
· Diversity and inclusion working group
· Gender Charter
· Equality policy
· Increasing participation and creating space for women to
compete
· Gender equality for officials
· Gender design working group
· Female coaching programme
· Fast track leadership programme
· Women’s mentoring programme
Outlined in further detail within the report, these recommendations will
be put forward to World Sailing, Member National Authorities, Class
Associations and the global sailing community.
Kim Andersen, President of World Sailing, welcomed the review, noting
that, “With 70 million global participants in sailing, we are committed
to supporting women in sailing and achieving gender equity. However, we
know that the playing field isn’t as equal as it could be. We welcome the
World Sailing Trust’s report and its recommendations and look forward to
working with our partners across the sailing community to enhance female
participation.”
Alongside the report, the Trust has produced a Starter Toolkit – available here - designed to help clubs, associations
and events to think about their gender diversity and how it might be
improved.
For further information and queries, please contact World Sailing Trust
Head of Fundraising, Hannah Hoare – Hannah.hoare@worldsailingtrust.org.