The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup: Human Rights Legacy and Impact for the Australian Grassroots Sports Gender Equity Agenda: A Pilot Study

The UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) unequivocally confirms in its article 10, that State parties will take all appropriate measures to ensure women equal rights of men in the field of education, and in particular to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women that boys and girls should have 'the same opportunities to participate actively in sports and physical education' (CEDAW, article 10, item (g) ). As Australia co-hosts the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, the aim of this study was to investigate the gender equity legacy and impact of the sport mega event in the country's grassroots football organizations. The researchers asked whether the emphasis on gender equity of the 2023 FIFA Women's football World Cup bid would be translated within the anti-bulling policies and frameworks of grassroots football organizations in NSW. The project conducted a documentary analysis of all anti-bulling and harassment policies, procedures and frameworks published by major NSW football organizations to investigate whether there were specific policies/procedures targeted to protect and empower women and girls within the game. The findings disclosed that a) There was a 'blind spot' within the policies, codes, frameworks and procedures examined; b) while there was some focus on child safety, there was no mention of women and girls; c) the documents did not acknowledge existing problems with bullying and harassment of women and girls in the sport, nor engage with effective actions to affect culture change; d) there is a naïve perception that the increased number of women in leadership roles within clubs and associations was an effective deterrent against discrimination and harassment towards women and girls in the sport.