Tuesday 8 March 2011 marked the centenary of International Women’s Day. The day provides an opportunity to celebrate the countless achievements of women over the past 100 years.

Female sporting legends – such as Dawn Fraser (swimming), Evonne Cawley (tennis) and Betty Cuthbert (athletics), and more recently Cathy Freeman (athletics), Lauren Jackson (basketball) and Louise Sauvage (Paralympic athletics) – have proven themselves on the national and international stage again and again.

At the most recent Olympic, Winter Olympic and Commonwealth Games women have won the bulk of Australia’s medals.

The Australian Government is committed to supporting and improving female participation at all levels of sport. In 2010–11 the Australian Government through the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) made a record investment in Australian sport of $23 million additional high performance funding and $11 million new participation funding.

This funding is part of the Australian Government’s record investment in sport of $195 million through its new vision – Australian Sport: the Pathway to Success. The record books show that this investment is paying off, with Australian women claiming 18 world championships and world titles in 2010, not to mention winning the women’s football (soccer) Asian Cup and the Commonwealth Games hockey gold medal.

Australian women are also currently ranked at the top of many other sports, including cricket, netball and triathlon. A higher percentage of Australia’s female basketballers currently play in international leagues than men and in 2010, for the first time in any sport, women secured equal prize money in tennis’s top four tournaments (the Grand Slams).

The ASC will open applications for the 2011–12 Sport Leadership Grants and Scholarships for Women shortly. The scheme inspires and assists women in sport leadership and decision-making roles to reach their full potential in the sports industry through education and development opportunities. In 2010–11, the program provided $400 000 of funding to 117 projects, 68 individuals, 29 organisations and 20 scholarships across Australia.

ASC Sport Leadership Grants and Scholarships can be used to cover costs as diverse as course and presenter fees, presenter travel, translator/interpreter fees, participants travel costs and child care (provided by qualified providers and/or in an accredited setting). Grants are distributed nationally in ASC-recognised sports.

The applications for the 2011–12 round will be assessed in May 2011 and all applicants will be notified by July.