Media Release
Progress towards gender equality in elite sport continues despite pandemic challenges
22 June 2023
Progress advancing gender equality across Australia’s elite sporting landscape continued, In the face of severe financial and competition challenges during the global pandemic, according to the latest report from the Champions of Change Sport Group.
Last publicly reported in April 2021, the latest “Pathway to Gender Equality in Sport” report shows improvement across most of the measures the 16 Members of the Champions of Change Sport Group are using to lead and track progress. The gender equality measures cover five key areas including leadership, participation, pathways, investment and practical actions.
Champions of Change Founder and Convenor of the Sport Group, Elizabeth Broderick AO said the progress was encouraging but renewed focus is essential.
“Over the past ten years, Australian sport has led initiatives, policies, and tangible actions that put gender equality firmly on the nation’s sporting agenda. We are now starting to see these actions deliver for athletes, sports, the sports eco-system, our community and the economy.
“But the pandemic must not become an excuse to slow down or pace the change. We need to step up on the opportunity we have to rebuild sport and our sport sector as truly gender equal. The potential impact transcends sports statistics and milestones. It embodies a profound cultural shift, challenging deep-rooted biases, and paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable society,” said Elizabeth Broderick AO.
The “Pathway to Gender Equality in Sport” report shows reporting organisations have largely maintained or improved on their performance over the three years, since it was first released during the T20 Women’s World Cup in 2020.
Leadership: advance more women into leadership in sport and develop respectful and inclusive sporting cultures
- 81.3% of organisations have diversity and inclusion policies including an action plan
- 56.3% of organisations report gender balance in terms of overall women’s representation
- 37.5% of organisations report gender balance in Key Management Personnel
- 25.0% of organisations report gender balance in high performance staff at elite level
- 18.7% of organisations have achieved gender balance among officials at the elite level
Participation: develop a strong pipeline of potential elite talent
- 43.8% of organisations report gender balance in the playing opportunities at the elite level
Pathways: offer genuine and equitable high performance pathways
- 62.5% of organisation report gender balance in the total funded development pathways for athletes
- 100% of organisations have communicated the pathways for women to reach elite level to participants and governing bodies
Investments: strive for equal investment
- 100% of organisations provide equal access to extended resources (doctors, physios and equipment for women athletes
- 93.8% of organisations report an equal travel and accommodation policy across genders
Practical actions to close the gender pay gap
- 87.5% of organisations have defined, measured and published gender pay gap data for elite athletes
- 93.8% of organisations report pay equity/prize equity ambitions have been communicated internally and externally in the last 12 months
Despite this progress, the overall pace of change is slow across the wider industry and areas of significant challenge persist for the Sports Group, namely achieving gender balance in leadership roles across Boards, administration and high-performance, progress towards pay equality for elite women athletes, and achieving equity across investment into women’s sport.
- None of the reporting organisations have achieved gender balance among coaching staff at the elite level
31.3% of organisations report gender balance on their boards. 12.5% of reporting organisations have achieved pay equity (base pay) between men and women athletes at the elite level. These are Tennis Australia and Football Australia. AFL clubs Carlton, Richmond, St Kilda Western Bulldogs and Geelong have moved closer to pay equity in base pay due to player bargaining agreements with the AFL including a 93% increase in pay for AFLW athletes.
Comments from Members of Champions of Change Sport
James Johnson, CEO Football Australia: “In just a few weeks Australia will host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023TM – the biggest women’s sporting event to be held on our shores since the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Through Legacy ’23, we are transforming sport in Australia, and working to ensure we can meet the surge in demand on and off the field in football. Above all we are committed to our goal of 50:50 gender participation and fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all, but especially women and girls.”
Nick Hockley, CEO Cricket Australia: “We are incredibly proud of how our long-term commitment to equality continues to transform cricket as a sport for women and girls. Our players are now comfortably the best paid women’s team sport athletes in Australia and the inspiring role models in our national team and the WBBL continue to set the standard globally.”
Craig Tiley, CEO Tennis Australia: “The commitment to gender equality in sport remains unwavering. We recognise there’s still a lot of work to be done, and breaking down barriers for women in leadership and high-performance sport, while also accelerating the growth and commercialisation opportunities to achieve true pay equality, is an ongoing focus.”
Adam Weir, CEO of Surf Life Saving Australia: “Tailored programming and initiatives are crucial to shifting long-held cultural norms around women’s ability to take up coaching positions and other positions of authority. By directly targeting roles for development purposes, we hope to accelerate the pace of change.”
Kieran Perkins, CEO Australian Sports Commission: “The ASC’s Women’s Leadership In Sport initiative has helped more than 500 women professionals, coaches, and former athletes to progress their careers. The year-long leadership program’s aim is to develop talent and build a cohort of women leaders for high-performance coaching and executive roles.”
Matt Scriven, CEO Basketball Australia: “Initiatives that build relationships between women and girls participating at the grass roots level, and the sport itself help to break down barriers to participation, and develops confidence and trust in the sports system itself. With an increased sense of connection to the sport, we hope to see increased uptake of participation over a longer period.”
Ameet Bains, CEO Footscray Football Club: “Enabling and supporting increased visibility of our women’s team is important to us, not only because it drives interest in women’s sport, but provides extra commercial and earning opportunities to athletes who, despite being on the national stage, are still working or studying part time. Driving visibility and interest in women’s sport is a key part of the ecosystem that will deliver pay equality and see AFLW become a fully professional sport.”
James Sutherland, CEO Golf Australia: “Australian Golf is committed to gender equity, including eradicating the gender pay gap. At last year’s Australian Open we delivered a world-first national open format, where women and men played for equal prize money, equal billing and on the same courses. Sport has the power to promote and influence social change and the world-leading format of the Australian Open is one of the ways golf is contributing to the rising tide of gender equity.”
Brendon Gale, CEO Richmond Football Club: “We’ve learned a lot and much has changed since this Group was established in 2015. By extending the reach and impact of this work across the broader sports sector and wider sports ecosystem, we can accelerate our goal of gender equality in sport.”
The 16 Members of the Champions of Change Sport Group represent Australia’s federated sports, professional teams, national and state-based organisations and share a strong vision and commitment to collective outcomes on gender equality. – Australian Sports Commission, Basketball Australia, Carlton Football Club, Cricket Australia, Football Australia, Geelong Football Club, Golf Australia, National Rugby League, Racing Victoria, Richmond Football Club, Rowing Australia, Rugby Australia, St Kilda Football Club, Surf Life Saving Australia, Tennis Australia, Western Bulldogs.
The Champions of Change Coalition includes CEOs, secretaries of government departments, non-executive directors and community leaders who believe gender equality is a major business, economic, societal and human rights issue. Established in 2010 by Elizabeth Broderick AO, our mission is inclusive gender equality across our workplaces by 2030 and a significant and sustainable increase in the representation of women in leadership.
