FICA Women’s Global Employment Report 2020

The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) has released its Women’s Global Employment Report 2020.

The report follows FICA’s 2018 Women’s Global Employment Report and men’s report released last August.

FICA produces its men’s and women’s global employment reports on a bi-annual basis. This report is retrospective covering the 2018/19 report period. FICA acknowledges more recent progress in several countries including England and Wales.

The report includes key findings and recommendations, based on:

• The further evolution of a professionalization maturity curve and metrics focused on achieving gender equity in cricket
• Country by country analysis
• Employment landscape and game structure data
• Global player survey data

The report includes a set of eight recommendations relating to:

1. Volume of Cricket – Ensuring ‘tagged’ funding is utilized to increase the volume of cricket across more countries
2. Structure Clarity – Developing and agreeing clear global scheduling windows
3. Gender Equity Frameworks – Convening a dedicated global multi-stakeholder group to develop and publish step plans for achieving gender equity at global level and across countries, and to track progress against them
4. Centralised Funding – Ensuring clear and transparent ‘tagged’ funding streams at ICC level to assist to expedite professionalism and strengthen the foundations of the women’s game and gender equity ambitions
5. Representation – Developing clear targets for women’s representation on all relevant boards, committees and panels
6. Minimum Standards – Developing and agreeing mandatory global minimum standards at ICC level across areas including health and safety, player welfare, contracts and contract enforcement, maternity and family caring provision, bullying and intimidation
7. Dialogue – Ensuring clear channels of ongoing and meaningful engagement and dialogue between governing bodies and players’ associations
8. Protecting People – Ensuring proactive protection of players’ fundamental rights at ICC level, including through removing systematic barriers to players’ associations, and committing to internationally recognized human rights frameworks

FICA Director, Lisa Sthalekar said:

“Women’s cricket has made significant gains which were on display at the recent T20 World Cup final.

“Players, administrators and national boards around the world need to continue to work together and invest heavily in building on this to capitalise on the hard work of those who have laid the platform, create a new normal, and to ensure the women’s game isn’t ever an afterthought.

“Let’s keep working together to ensure the women’s game uses the platform it has created to go to the next level.”

FICA Chief Executive, Tom Moffat said:

“These reports are an important part of FICA’s work tracking global developments against key metrics. Players are central to the future success of the game and it has been pleasing to see further recent progress.

“There is a long way to go to ensure the fundamentals are in place around the world though and we want to see targeted and specific action to ensure more playing opportunity, that gender equity principles are imbedded in the game, and that player rights are respected at global level and across countries.”

The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) was established in 1998 to co-ordinate the activities of all national players’ associations which protect the interests of professional cricketers throughout the world.

It brings together the world’s cricketers, regardless of nationality, religion, political persuasion or race, under an international body focused on matters of general interest to the game and its players.