The Shire’s commitment to empowering women and girls
Published on 11 November 2024
As we celebrate This Girl Can Week (10 – 17 November 2024), Mornington Peninsula Shire is proud to highlight its ongoing efforts to create a more inclusive and female-friendly community.
Our goal is simple: to ensure women and girls of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds feel empowered and safe to participate in physical activities and engage in their own terms.
The Shire has worked tirelessly to enhance inclusivity across the Peninsula, with a focus on creating safer and more accessible spaces for women and girls. Here are some of the key achievements we’re proud to share:
Upgraded female-friendly sports facilities: To encourage greater participation in sport, several local pavilions have been upgraded with female-friendly changerooms:
- Alexander Park Pavilion
- Red Hill Pavilion
- Barber Reserve
- Mace Oval
- Civic Reserve Pavilion – expected to be ready by late 2024 / early 2025.
Empowering women through health activations: As part of our Just Try initiative and International Women’s Day, Yawa hosted special sessions for women in March:
- ‘Learn to Lift’ workshops to encourage women to explore strength training.
- A Pelvic Floor and Core seminar, providing crucial health insights.
- The inspiring Sea Wolf Exhibition at Yawa, showcasing women’s strength through photography and stories.
Building gender equity in sport: The Shire, together with Peninsula Health, has established a network of staff working on building the capacity of local sporting clubs, with a strong focus on gender equity.
Sports Club Management Policy and Fair Access Roadmap: In August 2023, we adopted a new Sports Club Management Policy, aligning with the Fair Access Roadmap to ensure ongoing eligibility for Victorian Government sports funding post-July 2024.
Creating tools for gender inclusion: We’ve taken significant steps to encourage gender inclusivity within sports clubs, including:
- In the lead up to International Women’s Day, the Shire hosted a breakfast event to highlight the Victorian Government’s new Fair Access Policy Roadmap (Change Our Game).
- We launched our Gender Inclusive Sports Club Toolkit to help local sporting clubs create more welcoming and inclusive environments for women and girls.
- We established a cross-organisational Fair Access Working group to review the draft Fair Access Action Plan and facilitate knowledge sharing.
To learn more what the Shire is doing in this space click here
These efforts are part of our broader commitment to promoting gender equality and improving the wellbeing of all residents on the Peninsula.
By making spaces more inclusive and removing barriers, we’re ensuring that women and girls feel confident and safe to get active and stay healthy.
In line with our Council and Wellbeing Plan and Gender Equality Strategy, Mornington Peninsula Shire remains committed to fostering a community where everyone – regardless of gender – can thrive.
This Girl Can Week is a perfect time to celebrate the progress we've made and continue building on the foundations we've laid for the future.
Don’t miss out on your chance to win!
The clock is ticking! The This Girl Can competition is still open, you’ve got until 29 November 2024 to submit your photos or videos for a chance to win Rebel Sport vouchers.
Whether it’s a quick snap of your daily run or a fun video showing how you stay active, we want to see it!
Upload to Instagram with #ThisGirlCanMornPen or submit online at mornpen.vic.gov.au/thisgirlcan
Get moving, get creative, and enter now for your chance to win!