Women's sport in Australia has undergone a transformation — from the AFLW's founding in 2017 to the Matildas' 2023 World Cup run, female athletes are more visible than ever. But significant inequity persists: women receive less media coverage, lower pay, fewer coaching pathways, and face cultural barriers to participation — particularly at community level. Girls' participation drops sharply at puberty. Women from culturally diverse backgrounds, women with disability, and Indigenous women face additional barriers. Grant funding supports girls' participation, women's coaching and administration, athlete development, and the community sport changes that make women and girls welcome in sport.
Progress
Persistent inequities
Participation gaps
Sport Australia
State sport agencies
All states have women in sport programmes.
Sporting schools
Some focus on girls' participation.
Sport Australia Foundation
Grants for community sport including women.
Australian Sports Foundation
Tax-deductible fundraising for sport.
State sporting organisations
Many peak sport bodies have women's development programmes.
Corporate sponsors
Growing corporate investment in women's sport.
Girls participation
Women's community sport
Facilities
Coaching and officiating
Administration and governance
Women with disability
CALD women
Indigenous women
Athlete development
Safe sport
Women's sport media coverage remains at approximately 9% despite Australian women's sport consuming significant public interest. Solutions require:
- Media organisation commitments to increased coverage
- Streaming and digital platforms for women's sport
- Fan community development
- Media training for female athletes
Grant funding for women's sport media — documentary, streaming, commentary pipelines — is addressing the visibility gap.
Drop-off prevention
The sharpest equity intervention is preventing girls from dropping out of sport at 11-14. Applications specifically targeting this age group — with girls-only spaces, responsive programming, and addressing the specific reasons girls drop out — are high-priority.
Coach development
Female coaches are role models, not just coaches. Applications developing the female coaching pipeline — from junior club coaches to elite levels — have multiplier effects on girls' participation.
Facilities
Many women avoid sport because facilities are inadequate — no women's toilets, change rooms, or baby facilities. Applications upgrading facilities specifically for women are practical and impactful.
CALD and Indigenous inclusion
The most underrepresented women in Australian sport are from culturally diverse and Indigenous backgrounds. Applications specifically targeting these groups address the deepest equity gaps.
Tahua's grants management platform supports women in sport funders and sporting organisations — with participation tracking, programme reach data, athlete development measurement, and the reporting tools that help sport funders demonstrate their investment in gender equity in Australian sport.