| Following the release of its Women’s Global Employment Report 2018 today, the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) acknowledged the significant and positive steps the women’s game has made, and urged the game’s stakeholders to continue to prioritise and promote the growth of the women’s game around the world, including through creating viable career pathways for women’s players.
The Employment Report, covering the 2017/18 report period, is based on analysis of significant statistical data research, including quantitative and qualitative surveying of more than 124 current international, professional, and semi professional players from across FICA member and other countries, and senior player insights.
The Employment Report is the first of its kind in women’s cricket. It looks at the game and player employment globally and at individual country by country level across major cricketing countries. It provides an evidence based approach to identifying key issues for the players and the game, and acts as a benchmark against which FICA will continue to measure the game’s professional player landscape as well as important issues for women players and the game.
The Report identifies 20 key findings, which include focus on:
- The positive progress the game has made, but that there is still significant work to do to deliver lasting progress and stability
- As a global sport, the women’s game is still largely amateur, with a global lack of professional structures below international cricket (only 120 professional players and a number of semi-professional players globally)
- The limited, short term, insecure nature of player employment, including, in many countries, the lack of basic rights and protections for players, the lack of viable careers, and the need to work outside the game
- The lack of volume of cricket and of domestic cricket structures and player development pathways in many countries, leading to the continued risk of growing performance gaps between national and domestic players and between top nations and the rest
- The need for the game to cater for female specific considerations, including in relation to infrastructure and management
- Gender inequity and significant gaps in terms and conditions when compared to male contemporaries
Lisa Sthalekar, FICA Independent Board Member, said:
“We are really proud to be releasing the first Women’s Global Employment Report.”
“The players are at the heart of the growth of the game and we acknowledge the hard work that has been done to date by other stakeholders and various governing bodies to develop the women’s game. However, there is a long way to ensure the women’s game reaches its potential globally and to establish viable career paths for players around the world. The women’s game has a great opportunity to continue to create its own identity.”
Tony Irish, FICA Executive Chairman, said:
“It is clearly an exciting time for the women’s game and the players play an important role in continuing to drive the game forward around the world.”
“FICA’s Women’s Global Employment Report highlights many of key issues for players, their careers, and the game. Addressing these issues to achieve sustainable growth continues to require collective will, and global and domestic focus”
To access a copy of the Employment Report please CLICK HERE
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