Australian Taekwondo has been crowned the leading Member National Association in diversity, equity and inclusion at the recent World Taekwondo 2023 Gala Awards in Manchester.

The night saw the world's finest Taekwondo athletes, coaches and officials come together to celebrate individual achievements and close out an incredible season.

This year's awards saw the introduction of a sustainability award category, which recognised three key areas: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community, Environmental Sustainability and Health and Wellbeing.

Australian Taekwondo's nomination for the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Award focussed on its path to gender balance across the taekwondo ecosystem.

​​Historically women were underrepresented in all roles at all levels of Taekwondo despite increased participation opportunities for women and girls. Today the Australian Taekwondo landscape is seeing positive change, with access and opportunities for women and girls increasing across historically male-dominated areas.

• Our executive team now boasts equal representation for both men and women at 50%.
• Within Australian Taekwondo's National Pathways Program, women hold a significant presence as coaches, comprising 40%.
• The 2023 Cadet World Championships saw equal representation of men and women in National Team support staff roles. This structure will be standardised in 2024.
• Demonstrating inclusivity, 35% of Australian referees participating in national and international competitions are women.
• The growing influence of women is evident in the coaching realm, with women accounting for 36% of accredited Australian Taekwondo coaches.
• The Australian Taekwondo Board is mandated to maintain 40% female representation in accordance with the updated Constitution.
• 38% of Australian Taekwondo competition members are women.
• Women comprise 42% of Australian Taekwondo's digital fan base.
• In 2021, Australian Taekwondo, together with the Australian government and Oceania Taekwondo, secured the safe transfer of eight taekwondo athletes fleeing Afghanistan.

A jury comprising representatives from the World Taekwondo Sustainability Committee, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) jointly decided that Australian Taekwondo's nomination was the most outstanding among an impressive selection of submissions.

Australian Taekwondo's recognition in this space underscores its steadfast commitment to fostering diversity and ensuring gender equity within the taekwondo community, marking a significant milestone in the sport's journey towards a more inclusive future. 

This is the second award Australian Taekwondo has won in 2023 after World Taekwondo recognised the Association as one of six leading MNAs for best practice governance after receiving an A1 rating in the world body's governance review of 213 International Federations in June.

Australian Taekwondo will reinvest its cash prize of USD 10,000 back into its membership to deliver more initiatives that support growth and development opportunities for women across all areas of Taekwondo.