Women in sport to change the conversation about race and gender

Three women at the top of their game in sport are set to explore its power for breaking down gender and race barriers when they kick off the first of four panel discussions.

Beginning on March 12,Changing the Conversationreturns to QPAC for a second year withChanging the Game:Sport,Women and Culture.

Writer Benjamin Law will facilitate the discussion,featuring Brisbane Roar vice-captain Mariel Hecher,Victorian Institute of Sport non-executive director Azmeena Hussain OAM,and Brisbane Lions deputy chair Sarah Kelly.

The panel will take a deep dive into gender inequality,racism,discrimination and bias,both on and off the sporting field and where sport,multiculturalism and women intersect.

Christine Castley,the chief executive of Multicultural Australia,which is behind the four panel discussions,said they offered a chance to engage in important and complex conversations about the state of Australia “and the future we collectively and individually hope to build”.

“We came up with the idea to bring the types of stimulating conversations people … debate at their kitchen tables with family or friends,and in workplaces,while throwing in different perspectives,” she said.

“We have significant diversity in Brisbane,and we want to put it on stage.”

Castley said Multicultural Australia,an immigrant support service,hoped to bring a sense of belonging and connection to all those from different backgrounds.

“We need to keep doing this to challenge people and be thought-provoking,and we have to grow together to come together as a community,” she said. “We are one Brisbane,one Queensland,and we are one Australia.”

Last year’s discussions,which attracted about 1500 people,were also hosted by Law,who said Multicultural Australia’s work was close to his heart.

“One of the things that was interesting last year was that usually a conversation about multiculturalism starts and then stops there,but we were expanding into the specifics of it and looking into things like race,” he said.

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“I think Australia is so good at being a multicultural nation in the world,but sometimes our success can blind us to the problems we do have.

“Australia also can’t divorce itself from conversations like the wars between Israel and Gaza or Russia and Ukraine because we have those people living here,too.

“How do we navigate from interpersonal racism in,say,public transport,and why?

“We’ve all got our blind spots. I think there are conversations that need to happen at all levels – state,nationally and globally – andChanging the Conversation hits the spot of opening up those discussions.

“People coming into the series come out changed.”

Other events in the series includeCulture in Conflict in June,which will discuss culturally sensitive conversations that promote mutual respect and empathy,andWho Are We? in August,which will unravel ideas of belonging,heritage and a collective national identity.

The final conversation, Words That Blind –to be held in November – is about the potential of language diversity as a tool for nation building and social inclusion.

Tickets cost $25,with discounted rates for the entire series. Visit thewebsite or call 13 62 46 to book.

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