LockerRoom: More than numbers: The equity gap in sport and recreation

Representation of women among sport and recreation’s leaders has improved but equity and genuine belonging remain unmet, write WISPA Board members Louisa Wall and Alida Shanks.

Comment: Aotearoa New Zealand’s sport and active recreation sector has, by many visible measures, made meaningful progress in recent years.

Women are increasingly present in governance roles, Māori representation has grown, and there is now a far more explicit commitment across organisations to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

These shifts signal a sector that is, at least outwardly, responding to long-standing calls for change.

However, beneath these gains lies a more complex and less reassuring reality. The latest Sport NZ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) survey data from 2024, suggests increased representation has not yet translated into equitable outcomes.

Read more here.

Article first published by LockerRoom on 20 April 2026