Basketball Forum on Women and Girls Strategy

The Swinburne Sport Innovation Research Group was thrilled to partner with Sixfold Consultant Group Director, former Matilda and Change Our Game Ambassador, Tal Karp in an exciting step forward for Basketball Australia.

On 3 December 2019, during the United Nations 16 days of Activism Campaign against Gender-Based Violence, Basketball Australia hosted a deliberative forum to assist in forming the organisation’s women and girls strategy.

Over 100 participants came together at the Swinburne Centre, home of the Richmond Football Club to share ideas, ask questions and challenge each other in key areas set to contribute to what will be Basketball Australia’s new strategy for further engaging with and developing women and girls at every level within the game.

Swinburne provided academics and industry experts to assist in facilitating the forum which was divided into diverse tables reflecting different levels of experience in Basketball and the wider sport sector. The Swinburne table facilitators assisted in directing conversation and answering the questions that were put forward to the forum for discussion. Ideas and comments were recorded through an innovative digital deliberative platform that allowed for instant collating, coding and review of key themes.

Professor Emma Sherry and Dr Kasey Symons worked within the ‘theme team’ where these ideas came through to for analysis. Emma and Kasey worked within the team to identify dominant and emerging themes for each discussion point and were able to present preliminary findings to the forum in real time.

The deliberative forum included senior Basketball Australia leadership in CEO Jerril Rechter, Chair Ned Coten, Bronwyn Marshall, Lauren Jackson AO, Nat Momsen, Paul Maley and Trish Fallon as well as icons of the game in Michelle Timms and Sally Phillips. The forum also involved coaches, officials, administrators, government and media across Basketball and the wider sports sector to ensure the forum collated the needs and ideas from those with different experiences. A truly collaborative effort towards a progressive and inclusive strategy.

Throughout the day of deliberating on key ideas to drive Basketball Australia towards gender equity, Tal provided the event with a range of presenters to highlight different aspects of the gender equity conversation and share their expertise with the group.

Presentations were delivered from Sport Australia CEO, Kate Palmer, CEOs Nick Honey, Maria Nordstrom & Rob Clement, Australian Institute Of Sport's Darlene Harrison & Matt Lyons, Chyloe Kurdas, Stefan Grun, Chelsea Roffey and administrators from Basketball Australia Bron Marshall, Paul Maley, Michael Haynes, Rob Flude and Peter Lonergan.

Swinburne’s own recently promoted Professor Emma Sherry also presented to the forum on the importance of collecting and using meaningful and impactful data for decision making.

The balance of presentations from industry leaders and influential advocates for women in sport along with the workshopping of ideas and collaboration was embraced by the participants at the event who spoke highly of how the day worked and how engaged they felt.

Tal said of the event that,

“When it comes to strategy development, there's something to be said about co-design. For Basketball Australia's Women & Girls Strategy, that means working together with those with lived experience in the game at all levels; as well as with those who can help look at the issues differently - those with a view across sport & in government, commercial & academic sectors. That's what the BA Deliberative Forum, held in partnership with Swinburne University of Technology, was all about.”

It was an honour for the Swinburne Sport Innovation Research Group to collaborate with Tal and Basketball Australia on such important and impactful policy work to change the landscape for women and girls in sport.