Australia's elite female sprinters will continue to level the playing field over Easter at Australia's oldest and most prestigious athletics carnival, the Stawell Gift.
Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence today confirmed the women's sprint would be known as the Change Our Game Stawell Gift, carrying $40,000 prizemoney - the same as the men's Gift.
The Stawell carnival will return to Central Park for three days from Saturday after last year's event was cancelled due to the pandemic. The Powercor Stawell Gift for men will be run for the 139th time while the women's Gift dates back to 1989.
The carnival is back with a new major sponsor in Powercor, a new board of management, and a stellar line-up of athletes means fans can anticipate an epic three days of competition. Channel Seven will broadcast the Gift finals live on Easter Monday.
The Labor Government has provided $1.22 million across four years to ensure the future of the time-honoured central Victorian athletics carnival.
The Government established the Change Our Game initiative in 2017 to create a level playing field for women and girls in sport. The initiative provides a range of grant and funding programs to support women and girls across all levels of sport and recreation in Victoria.
Since the Change Our Game Scholarship Program was introduced in 2018, more than $1 million has been invested to help almost 200 Victorian women working and volunteering across all levels of sport and recreation to access professional development opportunities and training courses.
The Change Our Game Community Activation Program has funded 155 grants supporting community sport and recreation organisations to host community-level events that showcase and celebrate the role of women and girls in sport and active recreation.
The Labor Government has led a world-first board quota policy requiring peak sport and active recreation organisations funded by Sport and Recreation Victoria to have 40 per cent female representation.
As stated by Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence
"Change Our Game challenges gender stereotypes and delivers leadership opportunities for Victorian women and girls, and what better way to do that than through Australia's most famous footrace."
As stated by Stawell Gift management committee chair Stephanie Spence
"When we create environments and leadership roles where women have equal representation, everyone wins - I'm proud the Stawell Gift is leading the way."
