The Minister for Sport & Recreation, Graham West, has announced that eighty women will receive scholarships under the 2007 Women's Sports Leaders Scholarship Program.

"The innovative scholarship program, designed to boost the number of women in leadership and decision making positions in the sport and recreation industry, offers women involved in these areas, the opportunity to progress into leadership and decision making roles and further their coaching and officiating qualifications. Women taking part in the program will be better able to make a positive contribution to the industry and the organisation they represent will benefit from a wider pool of expertise", Mr West said.

This year, the total amount of the 2007 Women's Sports Leaders Scholarship Program is $130,000, with scholarships valued at up to $3,000, and expanded to include two new categories - Sports Management Development and State Sporting Organisation Initiatives.

The Sports Management Development Scholarship component was designed to enable women involved in the sport and recreation industry to identify opportunities that best address their own needs and undertake professional development in that area, whilst The State Sporting Organisation Initiatives component is open to identified State Sporting Organisations to apply for funding for specific initiatives that assist women progress in that particular sport. These extra elements are expected to contribute to cultural change in the sport and recreation industry and improve employment opportunites for women in sport.

The Minster said 30 women had been granted Sports Leaders scholarships, which would enable them to undertake a comprehensive four-day professional development program in sports administration and management, and another 30 women had been awarded Coaching and Officiating scholarships to help undertake accredited training and qualifications and progress in these fields. 19 women would receive Sports Management and Development scholarships for further professional development.

Click here to obtain a Scholarship Guidelines & Application Booklet.

For further information on the 2007 Women's Sport Leaders Scholarship Program and identified sports, visit NSW Sport and Recreation.