Policies, programs, and supporting structures

Women in Sport, opens in a new tab. From developing nutritional strategies for elite athletes to promoting gender inclusive environments, Deakin's Women in Sport and Exercise Network provides a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration. The aim is to improve women’s participation in sport and exercise through world-class research and by strengthening relationships with communities, partners and industry.

The Champions of Change Sport Group, opens in a new tab was established in May 2015 and now includes 16 members who lead organisations that have reach and influence across Australian society. The Group includes representatives from major national sporting organisations and the leaders of some of Australia’s largest and most successful sporting clubs.

• Unstoppable: Progress towards gender equality and pay equality in Australian sport, opens in a new tab, Champions of Change Sport, (November 2024). Released 10 years after the initial call to establish the Champions of Change Sport Group and five years since the launch of the Coalition’s measurement framework, Pathway to Gender Equality and Pay Equality in Sport, the report demonstrates the outcomes of a concerted effort towards gender equality across the sports ecosystem. According to the Sport CEOs, ongoing priorities must include: increasing the representation of women in leadership roles; creating viable and sustainable career pathways for women in all aspects of sport; increasing investment in women’s sports; closing the gender pay gap; and fostering safe, respectful, and inclusive sports cultures for all.
• Pathway to Gender Equality in Sport 2021–2022 Progress Report, opens in a new tab, Champions of Change Sport, (June 2023). Despite consistent effort across the industry over several years, and an increase in the overall number of women working in the industry, we continue to see gender segregation in the areas of administrative leadership and high-performance leadership. Our key areas of focus moving forward will be addressing the disparity in the number of women in leadership (namely executive, CEO, Board and coaching roles). We continue to invest in leadership training and development opportunities for women through various programs. However, there is a need to investigate and address the systemic barriers that continue to facilitate gender segregation in sporting workplaces.
• Pathway to gender equality in sport including pay equality, opens in a new tab, Champions of Change Sport, (March 2020). This report is the first time globally that sector leaders have united to agree and report on a consistent set of measures and assessment criteria towards these goals. The Pathway is freely available and can be adopted or adapted by any sport or sports sector to accelerate their progress on gender equality. Collective and individual results across the 18 members of MCC Sport are included.
• Pathway to Pay Equality: Elite women athletes, opens in a new tab, Champions of Change Sport, (February 2019). The pathway to pay equality involves many dimensions, and sports may find that achieving pay equality takes several years. However, success within any single part of the ecosystem makes success in the other parts more likely. The report identifies three distinct stages (pre-professional, a fair and reasonable wage, standalone pay) and a strategic focus, practical goals and actions for each.

The Strong Women, opens in a new tab program promotes the meaningful inclusion of women students across all levels of sport and active recreation at Melbourne University Sport – as participants, athletes, managers, leaders, coaches, umpires, and volunteers.

• The Strong Women Network. Matches current women student-athletes with women from the University of Melbourne community who have been involved in high performance sport.

Launched in March 2018 the Minerva Network, opens in a new tab provides mentoring, development programs, networking opportunities and scholarships for Australia's best female athletes. All of our services are provided by Australian executive women on a pro bono basis, at no charge or fee to athletes.

• The Minerva Athletes program, opens in a new tab connects professional sportswomen with top business leaders, mentorship, and career development opportunities to support success during and beyond sport. From networking events to personal branding and skill-building, athletes gain invaluable resources to navigate their careers.
• Minerva Mentors, opens in a new tab are leading professional women at the top of their field who mentor Minerva Athletes on the challenges of developing a professional career on & off the field.
• Queensland Academy of Sport and Minerva Network Announce Partnership to Empower Females in Elite Sport, opens in a new tab, (12 June 2023). The QAS is the Queensland Government’s high-performance sport agency. Together, the QAS and Minerva Network will provide QAS female athletes with the opportunity to participate in one-on-one mentorship and networking sessions with Minerva's network of accomplished female leaders.

For more than two decades the National Foundation for Australian Women, opens in a new tab (NFAW) has set the agenda for women’s issues nationally and given weight to the collective voice of Australian women. The NFAW supports these projects:

• She's Game - Women making Australian sporting history, opens in a new tab. This project highlights the achievements of women to Australian sporting life and culture. Athletes, coaches, administrators, journalists and volunteers are recognised for the important roles they have played in Australian sporting history.
• The Australian Women’s Register, opens in a new tab. This site is a source of information about Australian women and their organisations.

Sport SA, opens in a new tab, the peak sports industry professional association for all South Australian sports was established in 1991. It is a non-government, not for profit organisation providing industry advocacy, training and professional support to more than 140 member groups and affiliated bodies.

• Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Centre for Women’s Sport, opens in a new tab. Led by Sport SA, the Centre was established in 2023 to assist in the underrepresentation of women in sport as athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, volunteers and board members. It was identified that there was a need to close the “gap” and provide more opportunities for women to play sport and lead. The Program is available for women working or volunteering in the South Australian sport industry. Applicants for the Program require written confirmation from a state sporting organisation, association, or club that they are eligible for the Program.

SportWest, opens in a new tab is the peak industry body for sport in Western Australia. They represent more than 130 Members and over 5,000 sporting clubs involved in the conduct, administration, promotion and development of sport and related activities.

• Women of Sport Network, opens in a new tab provides networking and professional development opportunities for women working or volunteering in the sport industry in WA.

Victoria University, opens in a new tab (VU) plays a critical role in providing industry-based research nationally and internationally. The resource page includes links to, and information on, research, industry insights, and practical actions to increase opportunities for women and girls in sport.

• Research and industry insights on women in sport, opens in a new tab, Victoria University, (updated quarterly). Explore research articles, industry announcements and industry reports from around the world on eight key focus areas on women in sport.
• A level playing field: the case for investing in women's sport, opens in a new tab, Australian Women in Sport Advisory Group, (2019). The importance of women as leaders to grow the participation capacity of an organisation should not be underestimated.
• No boundaries for women and girls in sport and physical activity, opens in a new tab, Australian Women in Sport Advisory Group, (2019). Our vision is that there are no boundaries for women and girls in sport and physical activity. Our goal is to achieve this by 2025. But what does it look like and how will we know when we have made it? Here we set out what we are striving for, actions to take and measures of success. Key members of the sport sector, governments and industry are onboard.

Women Sport Australia, opens in a new tab (WSA) is a not-for-profit organisation incorporated in 2005, that supports the active participation of women and girls in sport, physical activity and recreation. WSA provides advocacy and leadership on issues affecting Australian women and girls in sport.

• Women in Sport Photo Action Awards (WISPAA), opens in a new tab. In 2019, Women Sport Australia launched these as an annual Award to generate greater recognition and respect for the skill, strength and athleticism of Australian women actively participating in sport. The inaugural winning image was of AFLW player Tayla Harris shot by Michael Wilson.

Womensport and Recreation Tasmania, opens in a new tab (WSRT) is the peak independent body celebrating, facilitating and advocating for females in sport and recreation in Tasmania. They provide a variety of programs, scholarships, and workshops to help ensure that sport and recreation is inclusive, and all Tasmanian females can fulfill their potential via participation, leadership, and research

• Diversity Council Australia, opens in a new tab (DCA). Diversity Council Australia is the independent, not-for-profit workplace diversity advisor to business in Australia. DCA addresses many issues facing women and minority groups within the workplace. DCA consults with industries and work sectors and produces a number of submissions to Government Departments and Agencies, such as the Productivity Commission.
• The Encyclopaedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia, opens in a new tab, Australian Research Council, Linkage Project, (2014). Naming Australia's 20th-century leading women performers in sport is a difficult task because there are so many of note. This ‘encyclopaedia’ provides a profile on women who have been elite athletes, administrators, coaches, and role models to generations of Australian women.
• Siren: A Women in Sport Collective, opens in a new tab. A collective of women’s sports advocates, content creators and fans who for years have been left wanting more from mainstream coverage of women in sport. Our mission is to elevate women’s voices, alongside other diverse and marginalised voices through in-depth storytelling, analysis and opinion, and deliver feminist content that challenges the status quo of sport media.
• Women on Boards, opens in a new tab (WOB). There are thousands of Government statutory authorities, committees, councils and advisory boards that regularly seek appointees. Women on Boards (WOB) started as an informal network in 2001 and was founded as a company in 2006 to improve the gender balance on Australian boards. It is funded through subscriber fees and earnings from services to organisations seeking to improve gender diversity.