I should have added in my report a special note to thank my husband Ewin and daughter Amélie. I carry a lot of guilt every time I leave them to attend a meeting or work late into the night, but I do so in the hope I am making my sport a better place, particularly for young women. I know my daughter is bound to take up lawn bowls or dance or some activity far removed from cycling by way of protest, but at least I can be confident that if she ever shows an inclination towards cycling that it will be a more inclusive environment for women and girls.
Cycling Victoria’s Women and Girl’s Commission 2012 Annual Report
By Monique Hanley, Chair
I am very proud to present the 2012 Women and Girl’s Commission (WGC) annual report. It has been another busy year for the WGC and it is challenging to capture the breadth of achievements and the positive impacts the work of the WGC is having on cycling for women and girls.
The WGC’s core focus is on three main areas: Policy Development, which involves inputs to CV policies concerning women; Pathway, concerning enhancing the offer and opportunity for women to advance in all aspects of the sport; and Member Services, concerning the support we provide to clubs through sharing of information and in the development of resources.
The three focus areas were underpinned in 2012 by a stronger commitment to project delivery as well as ongoing reporting on membership numbers, participation in racing and coach and commissaire ratios.
The WGC also set about enhancing our education, research and knowledge base on the topic of women and cycling by hosting special focus evenings. In March we had a presentation from Chris Ball from BMX Victoria on their women and girl’s participation programs. In May we invited Ken Mansell from the CV history and heritage commission, and hosted a wonderful evening listening to the tales and trials of professional female cycling in the 1940s and early 1950s thanks to the attendance of 81 year old Iris Dixon (nee Bent) and the family of 90 year old Berenice Wise. Later in the year we discussed the challenges of participation in sport by teenage girls and young women with Fiona Kuilboer from VicSport, spoke openly and honestly with Cycling Australia board member Charlie Farren, and also heard from Jessica Douglas on mountain biking and women in Victoria.
Our 'History' night with guests Iris Dixon, and the daughter and son-in-law of Berenice Wise,
Kathryn and Andrew Davy.
Kathryn and Andrew Davy.
In August we held the second annual Women’s Club Forum, where we personally invited all 56 clubs in Victoria. Hawthorn Cycling Club generously shared their experiences of becoming more female friendly, achieving a growth rate in their women’s membership of over 130% in the last twelve months. We thank Laurie Lovelock and Liz Hall for donating their time and wisdom.
In the coming weeks, two new products developed by the WGC will be released. The first is a Beginner’s Guide to Racing, edited by Liz Hall and targeted at first time racers by providing basic information for all cycling disciplines: road, track, BMX, cyclocross and MTB. The project was a collaborative effort from many, and I thank those who donated their time to assist on the project.
The second project is the Toolkit for Clubs, a resource for clubs to adapt successful tools used by other clubs. A key aspect of the Toolkit is research from the UK on the importance of having a very friendly website. Women in particular are more likely to research clubs online before joining, so a commitment to improving website information is vital. Thanks to Sue Madden and Ann-Michel Greenwood for coordinating the development of this resource.
The WGC has also been busy working with the CV Development team to establish more women’s specific training and skill development opportunities. Since July, over forty women have completed a new five week Track Development Program, aimed at women who have attended our popular Come n Try track sessions and hosted by Caroline Page, Apryl Eppinger and Laine Hammond. On the road, we have helped develop the women’s Master Class series, hosted by Bec Domange with assistance from Alison Raaymakers. These sessions have been incredibly popular and will need to be repeated to meet ongoing demand.
The biggest project that the WGC has focussed on has been assisting in the establishment of the Breeze program. It has been a real highlight for the WGC to have had input on the funding submission to Sport and Recreation Victoria at the beginning of the year, and to see the program develop and in the last two months, witness the program ‘rolled out’ for delivery. The WGC believe this program has the potential to really change the perception that organised cycling is only for the very fit or the elite, and will help encourage more women into our sport. Breeze was launched with much fanfare at the AusBike expo in October, hosted by Breeze ambassador Bridie O’Donnell. Natasha Mitchell has come on board in a part time capacity to coordinate the program, in which over 50 women have already applied to receive training to become qualified AustCycle teachers and Breeze leaders. The program will have a dedicated website, www.breezerides.com.au (soon to be launched), which will become an ongoing resource for women interested in getting into cycling.
If all Breeze groups ran like the very supportive and inclusive Velo Fille groups in Warragul,
the face of cycling in Victoria will change forever.
the face of cycling in Victoria will change forever.
A recent achievement has been the successful lobbying by Cycling Victoria and the WGC on the establishment of a National Women’s Commission. A joint paper was submitted to Cycling Australia for consideration at the 2012 AGM, and the motion to establish a National Women’s Commission was supported unanimously by the CA board. The National Women’s Commission will demonstrate the commitment by Cycling Australia towards positive change for women across the country. We look forward to influencing outcomes for women across the organisation, sharing our learning’s with other states as well as learning from their experiences and programs.
While the WGC has had a busy year, there remains more work to be done. The loss of young women from our sport is one major concern. We have identified future pilot projects that partner with Universities to help retain our U17 and U19 women in cycling, and will continue to work on an equal prize money policy to be applied beyond just Cycling Victoria run events. Another important aspect of the work is around sustainability, and we continue to look for ways to ensure initiatives, projects and programs concerning women can continue to be supported long into the future.
I would like to thank all members of the 2012 WGC for their time, effort, considered thought and passion: Ann-Michel Greenwood, Gaelene Snelling, Genevieve Sutherland, Liz Hall, Bec Domange, Lisa Byrne, John Burtt, Doug Armstrong, Jacki Barnett, Nina Greig-Towers, Sue Madden, and Craig Penglase. The WGC cannot operate without the support and energy of Development Manager Mark Drehlich, and we thank him for his hard work and dedication.
Finally, I would like to thank General Manager Kipp Kaufmann for his continued commitment towards women at Cycling Victoria, as well as Glen Pearsall and the CV board for their continued support and strategic vision to increase the role of women in cycling.
Stat Snapshot - 2012
Female members of CV as at 13 November 2012: 915
Proportion of overall membership: 15.25%
Proportion of overall membership: 15.25%
Proportion of female coaches as at April 2012 18%
Proportion of female commissaries as at April 2012 16%
