New research highlights ongoing barriers to women in sport leadership

New research from Advancing Women into the status of women in sports leadership in Australia has highlighted the higher than average gender pay gap in sport and recreation scores when compared with other industries.

The research paper comes at a time of growing interest and participation in women’s sport and just weeks following the launch of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Talent Program for women, which Sport Australia Chief Executive, Kate Palmer, explained was created to address “what remains a gross under-representation of women in high-performance coaching and executive positions.”

Advancing Women Director, Michelle Redfern (pictured), this week launched the first of a series of five research articles into the status of women in the sporting sector in Australia.

Redfern explains that the research series has been designed to not keep “polishing a well-polished problem” but to provide sports leaders with a blueprint to take action on advancing women into sports leadership.

The research paper not only highlights the significant barriers women in sport face but provides detail about the contribution that sport makes to Australia’s economy and how sports leaders can, and should, tap into the female economy and sports fandom more effectively.

Launching the research, Women Sport Australia President, Carol Fox advised “this is much-needed research in the area of gender equity in sport.

“The research supports what Women Sport Australia advocates on a daily basis and justifies the need for organisations to take more action for women in sport by sponsoring leadership programs and mentoring opportunities.”

Redfern, an AFR 100 Women of Influence and experienced sports administrator added “Australia has three of the most successful sporting teams in the world, The Matildas national football team, The Southern Stars national cricket team and The Australian Diamonds national netball team, yet despite this, and explosive growth (76%) in AFL participation rates by girls and women since the advent of the AFLW, women are horribly under-represented in sports leadership, media and funding.

“This is solution oriented research to finally shift the dial on equality in sport in Australia”

Click here to download Advancing Women in Sport.