Swimming Australia report calls for coach quotas, promotion of gender equality

Article here. Excerpt:

'Among 46 recommendations, the report calls for the establishment of a group to promote gender equality within swimming "to address areas such as leadership opportunities for women as coaches, officials, administrators and executives."

It recommends quotas to ensure the representation of women at the advanced and performance coaching level and calls on Swimming Australia to "never again select an all-male team" to manage national and international competitions.

The report recommends no less than two women when four or more coaches are selected, and at least one woman where there are three or fewer coaches.

The report also addressed Swimming Australia's complaints system, calling for a character test in the selection criteria for coaches and support staff.

It demands that language used in coaching resources be "respectful towards women" in terms of describing athletes and physiques, and an end to the use of so-called skinfold tests "as a measure of body composition at any stage of a swimmer's career."

If the reports' recommendations are adopted, coaches will have to undertake specific education on "female-specific health concerns."'