The ABC has released sobering findings from a landmark Elite Athletes in Australian Women’s Sport Survey conducted in partnership with Deakin University.
Surveying the experiences of 152 current and recently retired athletes across 47 sports including Aussie rules, netball, athletics, soccer, rowing, and basketball, the survey revealed that while progress is being made, serious issues remain widespread such as sexual harassment, eating disorders, online trolling and significant financial pressure caused by underfunding.
According to Associate Professor Kim Toffoletti from Deakin University, the study comes at a crucial time in Australian sport.
“Off the back of a sustained period of expansion and investment in women’s competitions and growing media interest, this survey highlights the persistence of gender inequality across the sector and its impacts on sport participation for women and minorities,” Toffoletti told the ABC, pointing to widespread underfunding as a core issue in many of the issues highlighted.
“What we pay women’s sport athletes tells us a lot about how we value women in sport and in society more generally,” she said.
Across the board, athletes said they continued to be frustrated by the ‘average’ mainstream media coverage of most women’s sport which was identified a major obstacle to progression.
“The more coverage (we get) the more sponsorship dollars will come to allow our women to spend more time to become professional and not have to juggle three jobs and their sport,” one athlete said.
Some of the specific findings include:
- 39 per cent of surveyed athletes said they earn no money from their sport while 36 per cent earn just $5,000-$20,000 annually
- 34 per cent have personally experienced sexual harassment or violence in sport, while and 59 per cent have witnessed it
- 32 per cent have been trolled on social media, while 87 per cent have seen other athletes in women’s sport being trolled
- 44 per cent have experienced an eating disorder as an athlete
- 85 per cent don’t believe there’s enough education about women’s health for athletes, coaches and support staff in their sport.
The ABC has produced a summary of the survey findings which can be read here.