(FIFA) and the New Zealand Human Rights Commission (NZHRC) to conduct a human rights risk assessment
for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand in 2023. The Commission
is again partnering with Golf Australia to develop disability inclusion guidelines. In addition, with spectator
racism continuing to be a significant challenge for the Australian sporting community, this will be a
particular focus of the Commission’s work in 2021–2022. In this reporting period, Sport and Cultural
Reform review projects were delivered for Gymnastics Australia and Basketball Australia.
Change the Routine: report on the Independent Review into Gymnastics in Australia
In this reporting period, the Commission delivered an independent review of culture and practice at all
levels of the sport of gymnastics in Australia, and released the final report, Change the Routine: Report on
the Independent Review into Gymnastics in Australia. Gymnastics Australia engaged and funded the
Commission to conduct the review in August 2020. following the release of the documentary ‘Athlete A’
that moved athletes around the world, including in Australia, to share their experience of abuse in the
sport online.
With ethics approval, the review engaged with members and former members of the gymnastics
community, including children and young people, from across Australia through verbal and written
methods. Under this participatory model, the Commission completed:
•
47 semi-structured interviews with 57 participants across Australia
•
a submission process receiving 138 written submissions
•
a review of all relevant corporate policies, protocols, and governance structures at all levels of the sport.
The Commission’s ability to provide a robust, safe, and meaningful experience for participants was
demonstrated through feedback. Participants consistently reflected on the importance of the review to
them, commenting on the value of having a say and, importantly, of feeling heard. For example:
‘Thank you, for actually giving us an opportunity to stand up, because that’s what we need. People
need more opportunities to speak up.’
—Interview participant
‘Thanks for giving a voice to people like me who would really like to see change.’
—Submission
The report placed athletes’ voices at the centre and made significant findings about the culture of
gymnastics in Australia. It found that a ‘win-at-all-costs’ approach prevailed across the sport and that this
created unacceptable risks for the safety and wellbeing of gymnasts. These risks were further exacerbated
by the often very young age of female gymnasts, power imbalances between athletes and coaches, an
underlying culture of control over gymnasts’ lives, and a tolerance throughout the sport for negative
behaviour – such as bullying and victimisation.
Annual Report 2020–2021
Australian Human Rights Commission
65