STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Ms CLUTTERHAM (Sturt) (16:34): Why do we invest in sport for women and girls? We do it not only because we should, because it's the right thing to do and because it's high time we took steps to even up the monumental investment we make in sport for men and boys with what we apply to sport for women and girls. We also do it because girls and women who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem and lower levels of depression.

Girls and women who play sports have a more positive body image and experience higher states of psychological wellbeing than girls and women who do not play sports. And sport is where women, men, girls and boys learn all about teamwork, goal setting and the pursuit of excellence in performance—all critical skills necessary for success in the workplace and the community.

At the Glenunga Rams Footy Club in my electorate of Sturt, they know this and they are investing. The club has a dedicated and successful girls footy program, which is given the same level of regard as the boys program. At the under-12 girls level alone, that investment resulted this season in the div 1 side making the preliminary final and the div 4 side narrowly losing the grand final.

The under-12 girls I presented trophies to yesterday at the end-of-season presentation are confident, healthy, happy in their own skin, and they are our next generation of leaders. Congratulations to all the players at Glenunga Rams for helping to make this investment and especially to the under-12 girls playing group for a fantastic 2026 winter season.