This includes holding a series of annual events on the theme of 'Making Space for Women’, addressing sexist advertising through research, advocacy and partnerships, and commissioning our own gender equity mural.
Our popular Making Space for Women forums in 2017 and 2016 explored how the representation of women and girls in public spaces, including sexist advertising, impacts women and girls’ feelings of safety and inclusion and inspired us to create our own visual representation of women in a public space.
View the forum proceedings and infographics:
Throw Like A Girl can be seen on the wall of the North Melbourne Recreation Centre. The mural was designed and painted by local artist Gert Geyer. This was achieved with support from the State Government as part of its Victoria Against Violence campaign. The 30 square metre mural features empowering, diverse and non-sexualised representations of women and girls being active.
Women and girls face specific barriers to participating equally in sport in their local communities. More boys than girls report that their parents let them walk or ride to places or visit local parks on their own. Young women report feeling concern about the presence of males when exercising and worry about being judged, humiliated and harassed. Whereas traits like strength, competitiveness, aggression, sweatiness and practical clothes are closely associated with masculinity, the opposite gender norms and expectations apply to girls and women.
The creation of Throw Like A Girl provided an innovative opportunity to make a tangible and lasting improvement in the way girls and women are represented and included in public space and continues our focus on improving the health and wellbeing of young women by challenging stereotypes that limit participation in community life. We hope the mural will continue to generate more community conversations about gender equity and women’s participation in sport.
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WHV acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government.
Acknowledgement of Country
Women’s Health Victoria acknowledges and pays our respects to the Traditional Owners of the land that our offices are situated on, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. As a statewide organisation, we also acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters across Victoria. We pay our respects to them, their cultures and their Elders past and present.
Our Commitment to Gender Diversity & Inclusion
Women’s Health Victoria’s focus is women (cis and trans inclusive) and gender diverse people. We address feminist health issues and are committed to supporting all people impacted by gender inequity who can benefit from our work. As a proud intersectional feminist organisation, Women’s Health Victoria is working towards meaningful inclusivity, guided by and supporting people who identify as women, trans, intersex and gender diverse.
