Healthy boost to women’s sport in Victoria

WOMEN’S sport in Victoria received a huge boost with health promotion foundation VicHealth announcing $6.7 million in funding to get more Victorian women and girls healthy and active over the next three years.

Minister for Health Jill Hennessy and Minister for Sport John Eren both backed VicHealth’s new investment to increase the profile of women’s sport and create new opportunities for Victorian women and girls to get into sport and physical activity.

Minister Hennessy said participation in sport and physical activity was the key to better health and wellbeing.

“This new funding will deliver more opportunities for women and girls to get involved in grassroots sports and physical activity,” Minister Hennessy said.

Victoria is leading the way when it comes to levelling the playing field for women’s sport and this funding will ensure that momentum continues – encouraging even more women and girls to play the game they love, according to Minister Eren.

VicHealth chief executive officer Jerril Rechter said the funding represented the organisation’s biggest ever investment in female sport, which would deliver a range of new opportunities especially designed to help Victorian women and girls to get involved in sport and physical activity – including those who’ve never played sport.

“Getting enough physical activity into our week is so important for good health and happiness. Unfortunately, not all Victorians have the same opportunities to achieve good health,”
Ms Rechter said.

“We’re hoping to encourage more than 23,000 women to become physically active in whatever way, shape or manner they choose.”

VicHealth will also partner with 13 sporting organisations to continue to raise the profile of women’s sport and tackle key barriers for women being active by promoting VicHealth’s upcoming This Girl Can campaign to their fans and grassroots clubs.

Full details about VicHealth’s new Active Women and Girls for Health and Wellbeing program, including how to register interest for the new sporting activities, can be found at vichealth.vic.gov.au/activewomen.