Women’s AFL players in Victoria will wear red armbands this weekend to protest the state’s recent budget cuts to programs that promoted gender equity and inclusion in sport.
Not All Clubs Media has spearheaded the protest through social media.
Given the AFLW season does not begin until August, the protest will involve players at the community level.
Context
Treasurer Jaclyn Symes handed down the Victorian state budget last week, which saw two programs, the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation (OWSR) and the Preventing Violence Through Sport Grants Program, cut.
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The OWSR was responsible for running the Change Our Game Program, which sought to increase the participation and visibility of women in sport.
The Preventing Violence Through Sport Grants Program gave funding to support community sport groups to address gender-based violence.
Protest
Not All Clubs Media said in a statement: "These initiatives and programs were among the first of their kind – designed to make sport safe, more inclusive, and more equal for women and gender diverse people.”
“Without them, we risk going backwards — towards more harm, more silence, and fewer women and gender diverse people in the game," they added.
