“It’s quite humbling actually.”
A shift in Queensland’s football landscape occurred when Paula Robinson broke through the gender barrier to become the first woman elected to the board of Football Queensland. The significance was a domino effect of tipping the balance at the table to 4 men and 3 women, reaching Football Federation Australia’s 40-40-20 guideline.
“It shows that there’s a shift in culture and that it’s not just at board level, but the wider community of football stakeholders are ready to embrace change, and saw the value that having a gender balanced board can bring,” Robinson explains on how her decision to be elected was a kind of litmus test on whether the sport was ready for some real change.
THE ROAD
The decision for Robinson to stand for election to the board is closely linked to her association with the organisation’s President Ben Richardson.
“Ben has been encouraging me to put my hand up for a while … he has asked me to consider it a number of times,” she admits.
Robinson’s initial hesitation stemmed from a busy few years. Over and above setting up her own law firm, she was responsible for all the legal and brand protection work for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, then for the Invictus Games. But Richardson’s persistence paid off.
“The planets just aligned in terms of timing,” is Robinson’s explanation to the seemingly inevitable.
She is already a well-respected figure in sports governance in Queensland, recently being appointed as Chairperson of the Queensland Academy of Sport. Her experiences at Tennis Queensland were valuable in shaping her approach to sports governance.
“Looking back, I thought being on the board of Tennis Queensland, which was my first sporting board appointment, was a pie in the sky dream that I hoped I could one day achieve. And within a short time of being appointed to that board, I realized that ‘oh, I can actually contribute.’
“I had this impostor syndrome to overcome – as many women do – but I soon realised it was completely unwarranted.”
Motivation to break through the glass ceiling and bring gender equality firmly into the spotlight saw Robinson make an ultimately failed attempt to be elected President of Tennis Queensland. This is something she considers as a success, measuring it differently, with the impact of the conversation that it started being seen as more important than election into the role.
“I knew there was no way I was going to get voted in, but there had never been a female put their hand up before for that role and I wanted to at least do that and to get people talking about it.”
CHANGE FROM THE TOP
The sentiment of cultural change within Football Queensland is echoed by Richardson, who stood for re-election at the same time as Robinson.
“At the election it would’ve been quite easy for [the members] to not vote for me, to not vote for Paula and to remain with the status quo … I’m encouraged they recognise this change ahead and want to be part of the challenge to ensure football is in a better place moving forward,” he says frankly after sharing his delight at having Robinson on board with her experience, skill set, network and knowledge.
“I was fortunate enough to encourage Paula to stand for the election, which is a process in itself. You have to put yourself out there. If you’re not successful in that process, you have to go and lick your wounds. So all credit to Paula to come forward and stand for that election.” With joy, he reveals Robinson had the support from the overwhelming majority.
The election outcome is only part of the growing momentum to move the game forward in Queensland. Richardson says a significant role of the board is to drive change in culture, mentality and behaviours, particularly in securing the focus of women as the future of football.
“In our strategic plan we’ve put ‘women are the future’ as a statement. It’s not for the 60-something grey hair neanderthals. It’s for the parents who have a seven year old daughter, who aren’t sure if football really is the code for them,” Richardson says.
The traditional male-heavy board makeup can draw comparisons to an ‘all boys club’ and the difficulty in adding more women to governance roles isn’t through a lack of women wanting to be there. Richardson drew from an example where 50 applicants responded to an advertisement for a women’s committee.
The combination of women putting their hand up and the football community being prepared to vote them in is what has enabled the shift to a board that complies with the 40-40-20 FFA guideline.
Robinson is optimistic about what this means for the sport: “I’d like to think a true 50/50 gender balanced board is now possible for Football Queensland. It’s an exciting possibility.”
FELLOW WOMEN ON THE FOOTBALL QUEENSLAND BOARD
Robinson joins Jackie Knight and Amy Chapman as the other women on the board. Both were appointed to their positions, while Jackie Knight has since filled in as a Casual Director late last year when a vacancy became available with the resignation of an elected director.
“Jackie is in a senior finance role with Telstra. She also had some sports governance experience. Jackie is a football tragic. Grew up in England, lives and breathes the game and wants to give something back.
“We were lucky to bring Amy Chapman into the board, who’s new to governance, but she’s a delight. She’s sharp, she’ll ask questions and say a piece if she doesn’t believe something sits well … she’s one to watch for the future,” Richardson describes the directors.
GOVERNMENT AND THE FUTURE
It’s apparent, even through a phone conversation, that the praise Richardson heaped on Robinson is warranted. Incredibly switched on, she brings clarity to how the cultural shift will impact the code’s interaction with the State Government.
“[Gender equality at a board level] is incredibly important for the government at the moment. If football wants to stake a claim as one of the better run sports within Queensland, we absolutely need to be kicking goals like that,” Robinson says, reflecting on the meeting she’d had the previous day with Minister for Sport, Mick De Brenni and Minister for Women’s Affairs, Di Farmer.
The shift goes beyond the inclusion of more girls on the football field. Growth in the women’s game has created the need for more infrastructure. It’s the board who leads the conversation with the State Government to do that.
“Even yesterday, the Sports Minister commented that we wouldn’t have been having these conversations 18 months ago. But football has really turned a corner in terms of its professionalism and governance systems,” she speaks on her meeting with the Ministers.
Gender equality in governance is timely for the code in Queensland.
“The Palaszczuk government has been very strong in terms of how they’ve approached [gender balance] within government.” Robinson goes on to explain that while Queensland doesn’t have the mandatory equality standards that states such as Victoria have, the matter has become increasingly important in receiving government funding and assistance.
ADVICE
When asked whether she has any advice to other women wishing to join boards in sporting organisations, Robinson replies assuredly and quickly.
“I think it’s as simple as putting your hand up, to be honest. More women need to back themselves. We need to take away the excuse that there aren’t enough women with the necessary skills. Let’s show them that there’s plenty of good quality women to choose from. Put your hand up and be an option. That’s what we tell women on-field, let’s start telling them that off-field”.
