Ngā Wāhine Hākinakina o Aotearoa, Women in Sport Aotearoa (WISPA), in partnership with InsideOUT Kōaro and with funding from the Clare Foundation, has launched the Transgender Inclusion in Community Sport Toolkit – a practical, evidence-based resource to help sports organisations across Aotearoa create welcoming spaces for transgender, non-binary and gender diverse people.
The Toolkit is a free resource for national, regional and local sports organisations, clubs, teams and competitions. It was codesigned by WISPA and InsideOUT Kōaro, drawing on research, lived experience and case studies from the Aotearoa sport sector.
Its purpose is simple – to help clubs and organisations take a practical, inclusive approach so that everyone, regardless of gender, can take part in and benefit from community sport.
The need is clear. In Aotearoa, two in five trans people have avoided sports teams or clubs out of fear of mistreatment, and only 14 percent of transgender and non-binary people had taken part in organised physical activity in the past four weeks, compared with 26 percent of the general population.
“The Toolkit is a practical, positive resource to help clubs and organisations include transgender, non-binary and gender diverse people in community sport,” says Dr Alida Shanks, whose PhD is in gender equity in community sport in Aotearoa.
“We wanted to create something anyone could pick up and use – whether they’re a national body developing an inclusive policy, or a local club wanting to know the steps to take so that all their members feel like they belong.”
Grounded in evidence and built for everyday use, the Toolkit is organised around five pou (pillars): inclusion, wellbeing and safety, privacy and dignity, listening and responding, and learning and knowledge. For each, it offers plain-language guidance, practical actions and real case studies from the sector, along with a ready-to-use inclusion policy template, an inclusive language guide, and answers to common questions about fairness and safety.
The Toolkit was codesigned with InsideOUT Kōaro. Chief Executive Judy O’Brien says the kaupapa matters to the organisation.
“At InsideOUT Kōaro, we strive for an Aotearoa where every single rainbow person has the chance to thrive inside and out. Partnering with WISPA on this toolkit is an important step forward in ensuring transgender people and their whānau are welcomed in community sport with dignity, respect, and safety.
“Many sports organisations want to do the right thing, but lack the practical tools and confidence to put inclusion into practice. This toolkit equips sports bodies with the guidance to support all participants, ensuring clubs remain safe, welcoming, and able to keep people participating for life.”
As Aotearoa New Zealand’s champion for gender equity in sport and physical activity, WISPA codesigned the Toolkit to help clubs and organisations create environments where everyone can fully participate, contributing to the collective wellbeing of our communities.
For further information, contact:
Dr Alida Shanks and Judy O’Brien
[email protected]
About the partners
Ngā Wāhine Hākinakina o Aotearoa | Women in Sport Aotearoa (WISPA) is Aotearoa’s champion for gender equity in sport and physical activity. InsideOUT Kōaro is a national charity supporting rainbow young people in Aotearoa. The Toolkit was funded by the Clare Foundation.