As we round out the month of March, which hosts International Women's Day (IWD), we share with you some thoughts from a leader within our local cricket community.
Nanette Bak has a long history with cricket in the ACT. She is also President of Lord’s Taverners ACT who play an important role in our community ensuring local youth from all backgrounds have an opportunity to play the sport they love.
With this year's IWD theme in mind – 'Count Her In – Invest in Women: Accelerate progress' we asked Nan to answer a few questions to get her thoughts on how to continue to grow our game for women and young girls.
You can read Nan's responses below.
Q: As someone who has invested in our local cricket community and in the growth of our game for women and girls, how important do you believe it is to invest in women to accelerate progress in our game?
A: I supported Cricket ACT for 30 years and it was a natural progression to include the Women in our sponsorship. It was a good chance to help raise awareness of women’s cricket and raising awareness is the first step in making change.
I had the support from my company who also realised the importance of supporting the community you are part of.
Q: What would you like to see happen in the coming years to ensure we continue to accelerate progress for women in cricket and generally?
A: I would encourage local companies to support women in cricket and realise the importance their support will bring.
It's a great opportunity as well to become involved in a sport that is loved by so many.
Since retirement I have joined the Lord's Taverners (a charity committed to enabling the young and disadvantaged play sport) and was proud to learn that the Lord's Taverners have supported women’s cricket in the ACT since 1990.
Q3: Reflecting on the theme of 'always counting women in', what is your message to people in this month of International Women's Day around investing in women for progress?
A: It's important to continue to send the message out to the community to provide support for the development of Cricket for girls.
So much progress has been made in recent years, testament is the Australian Women’s Team who continue to impress.
There is more to do to continue the growth of cricket for girls. Support can provide the opportunity to purchase new equipment, travel to competitions, among other expenses relating to being able to continue to play and hopefully get to an elite level.
The girls need support, so please become involved and enjoy the rewards of being part of the women’s cricket fraternity.