Australia’s top sports vow to address, close gender pay gap

Australia’s major sporting organizations Monday threw their weight behind a drive to close the pay gap between top male and female athletes, drawing on a landmark cricket deal in the push for more equality.

The chief executives of cricket, golf, rugby union, tennis and swimming were among those to sign up to the “Pathway to Pay Equality” report by the Male Champions of Change Institute, led by former Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick.

The study outlines some of the inequities faced by women, including lower salaries and poorer facilities, and steps necessary to achieve more equality.

It involves a shift in mind-set away from male sport being valued more than women’s, providing greater equal opportunities from grass-roots level up and long-term plans to make it happen. All the signatories have agreed to self-assess against 16 measures each year and report on their performance to ensure progress is made over the next five years. “It is very heartening to see CEOs across major sports come together to achieve gender equality and pay equality in sport,” said tennis legend Billie Jean King.

“The idea of activating the entire sports ecosystem to hasten change is an approach that could be considered and replicated throughout the world.”

Many sportswomen continue to earn a fraction of their male counterparts and their pathways to a professional career are significantly harder.

But there has been a change in attitudes over recent years among some Australian sports federations, with professional leagues for women now up and running in cricket, soccer and Australian Rules.