ACT Greens MLA Andrew Braddock will call today on the ACT Government to provide inclusive swimming timetables for multicultural women and girls and for transgender and non-binary people.

“Swimming is part of the Australian way of life and a vital life skill,” Mr Braddock said. “But some struggle to access a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive swimming environment.

“The ACT Government owns and contracts out management of many public swimming pools, and each of these should be guided by a common policy that embeds inclusive schedules as a standard.

“It’s clear some community members currently do not use our public pools due to religious reasons or concerns about accessing a safe, respectful and supportive swimming environment.”

47 per cent of the people who drowned on Australian coasts between 2004 and 2021 were born overseas, recent research shows. Women and girls from multicultural communities best learn swimming and water safety in gender specific, and less populated swimming environments.

“Women only sessions will provide a space where women can feel comfortable and enjoy the benefits of swimming or learning to swim,” Nishi Puri, president of the Multicultural Association of Canberra, said. “This will reduce social and cultural barriers, particularly for women from migrant communities.”

Other research claims that “the binaried cultures and practices of sport and PE … struggle with, and are hostile towards, transgender and non-binary bodies, and this impacts transgender and non-binary participation. In turn, non-participation can mean missing out on the wellbeing benefits of physical activity.”

The ACT Greens’ call has followed extensive consultation with multicultural and LGBTQIA+ organisations, which have argued that inclusive swimming times will create a safe space for these marginalised groups.

“Providing swimming times for trans and gender diverse people would increase the availability of swimming to a number of people in our community, who normally have concerns about safety and gender dysphoria, enabling them to enjoy an activity that has great benefits from an exercise and mental health perspective,” said Jenni Shoring, executive director of A Gender Agenda.

Earlier this year, in Sydney, the Ashfield Aquatic Centre implemented a gender-diverse swim night for LGBTQIA+ people, which promoted inclusion and turnout.

The ACT Greens have also consulted Royal Life Saving Australia, the Refugee and Migrant Swim Program, and the Canberra Multicultural Forum.