By Canadian Press

Wickenheiser, Herdman recruited to working group on gender equity in sport

Apr 24, 2018 | 9:32 AM

Hayley Wickenheiser believes sport is a microcosm of life, and how women are treated in sport is a barometer of the health of a society.

The four-time Olympic gold medallist in women’s hockey was among a dozen people named Tuesday to Canadian Sport Minister Kirsty Duncan’s working group on gender equity in sport.

The federal government announced in this year’s budget the goal of achieving gender equity in sport “at every level by 2035” and committed an initial $30 million over the next three years to it.

Wickenheiser, Olympic champion paddler Adam van Koeverden, soccer coach John Herdman, Olympic water polo player Waneek Horn-Miller and Paralympic swimmer Chelsey Gotell are among the dozen Duncan recruited to tackle drop-out rates among adolescent girls, a lack of women in leadership roles and sexual harassment in sport.

“This group has to drive action. This working group has to work,” Wickenheiser told The Canadian Press. “If this working group doesn’t come out with tangible changes that are implemented, then it’s a failure.

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“We need to make sure we’re world-leading in this. There’s no reason we can’t be.”

The nine women and three men in the group are volunteering their time and are not paid, Duncan said.

“I think men have to be included in the conversation to be part of the solution,” the minister said.

The group’s chair is Laval University professor Guylaine Demers, who as the head of Egale Action works for the equality of women through sport and physical activity.

“What I am looking for are recommendations that will really change the system,” Duncan said. “It’s really to gather their experiences, their perspective and insights.

“I’ve only been on the job for two months, but this was one of the things I hit the ground running on. I’ve advocated for this issue for years. This is really near and dear to my heart.”

Only 24 per cent of women in Canada participate in sport compared to 45 per cent of men, girls’ participation drops 22 per cent when they reach adolescence and less than half the senior staff in national sport organizations are women, according to the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS).

At the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in February, just over nine per cent of Canada’s coaches were female.

“I think girls don’t see as much opportunity in life around sport as boys do for sure growing up,” Wickenheiser said.

Duncan’s vision for sport gender equality in 2035 is that “all Canadians have the opportunity to get involved and excel in sport, they should be able to do so in an environment free of discrimination or harassment, that we have equality of participation of women and girls,” she said.

“We see women and girls moving through the coaching system and judging system, women in leadership positions.”

Duncan is also the science and persons with disabilities minister. The 51-year-old MP from Etobicoke North is the third sports minister since the Trudeau government’s first cabinet appointments in 2015.

A former gymnast who turned to coaching and judging and still runs marathons, Duncan says her environment as a youngster fostered a life-long passion for sport.

“(Sport) was my family’s passion and I had absolutely incredible coaches,” Duncan said. “Environment is key and to make sure it’s a safe and healthy place too.”

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press