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“There are more and more women in sport, as participants, coaches, officials, administrators, and board members.”.
Are more women playing sport in Australia?
In a word, yes.
There are more and more women in sport, as participants, coaches, officials, administrators, and board members. But not as many when compared to men…yet.
While there is a lot of momentum, there's still work to do to bring equality. Women are more likely to be insufficiently active [59% compared to 50% for men]* and less likely to play sport.
Any way you like to move
Good health, and having fun are key motivators. It's also interesting to note the steady rise of non-competitive sport. More and more women are choosing activities like Yoga, Pilates and walking for their daily routine. A brisk walk to Saturday Pilates and coffee after? Sounds like a cracking start to the weekend.
Women lead the way
Leadership is critical. In 2019, women comprised 24% of CEOs across 63 national sporting organisations (NSOs), and 15% of high-performance coaches. When more women are active in leadership roles, it paves the way to bring even more women onto the team*.
The Women's Big Bash (WBBL) and the Women's Australian Rules Football league (AFLW) are great examples of platforms that have attracted a huge following.
The Matilda's Effect
On top of the historic result, the Matildas captured the hearts of a nation. They broke television streaming records, with the semi-final match against England becoming the most-watched program since the current rating method was established in 2001. Female participation in soccer is expected to surge following the Women's World Cup. The results will become clearer after this winter, but the love for our football heroes from young girls was loud and clear.
Benefits of being active
Female participation in Australian sports has been steadily increasing, and it's bringing a lot of benefits with it. Being active empowers, strengthens, fosters teamwork, promotes confidence, improves health, enhances mental well-being, cultivates leadership, encourages resilience and celebrates diversity. Boom!
Not only are more women getting involved, but they're also excelling at them. This is leading to a more diverse and inclusive sports industry, as well as inspiring other women to take up physical activities. It's also creating opportunities for better representation of female athletes in media coverage and marketing campaigns. With increased female participation in sports, we can expect to see even more benefits come our way!
So get out there and have fun, however you like to move.
* Source: AusPlay survey. A large-scale national population tracking survey funded and led by Sport Australia.