Rhetoric and reality: A lasting legacy of the 2018 Commonwealth Games for Indigenous Australian women?

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) were lauded as a unique opportunity for all Australians, including Indigenous Australians, to take to the international stage and showcase their talent and culture. Games Partners (including a Yugambeh Elders Advisory Group) developed a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), the first of its kind delivered by a major sporting event in Australia and a world-first for a Commonwealth Games. The plan was underpinned by the promise of ‘a lasting legacy’, evidenced through employment and training opportunities, promoting Indigenous art and culture, and supporting healthy and active lifestyles. The present research examines the RAP and evidence from stakeholders to explore how, one year after the Games, GC2018 is constructing a meaningful legacy for Indigenous women. The research contributes to an understanding of the complex gendered and racial discourses, practices and norms, which intersect in ways that enable and constrain legacy outcomes.