There are a number of reasons why most women’s sport has trailed men’s sports for centuries.
I think of these as structural (organisational and corporate) and personal.
While I believe that we have progressed the first two well in recent years, we still have more work to do on the latter and there is no reason why we can’t all contribute in some way to changing that. Let’s look at all three factors. Firstly Organisational.
Despite large crowds, Football Associations effectively banned or strongly disencouraged women’s football in many countries including Australia.
Today, through various paths most countries have now propelled women’s football to a similar profile, and in some cases equal pay to men’s football.
Governments are finally funding better women’s facilities including changing rooms.
There is more to be done and faster but we are seeing progress.
Secondly Corporate.
When we asked to specifically support the Matildas and become their first dedicated sponsor in 2017, we were amazed at the lack of corporate support for this world class team.
We have seen such a wonderful transformation since then and today Seven’s logo is one amongst many and they are now the CommBank Matildas!
We see a similar situation evolving with the Seven Consulting Opals who we only recently began to sponsor.
As an organisation we knew we wanted to continue to support women’s sport so in 2022 when we discovered the Opals didn’t have a naming rights sponsor for a home World Cup and the legendary Lauren Jackson was returning to the world stage for it – the sponsorship decision was an easy one.
Since then, again, there has been a steady increase in sponsor interest and we are delighted to be a supportive part of their story too. So, we have just announced a longer term commitment to the Opals and their sport as the naming rights sponsor for a minimum three year period. Once more we can see change happening and we want to help drive that change.
Finally, personal. This is where we each need to focus on getting behind women’s sport and building greater momentum.
Although attendance and viewing figures are rising in Australia, they are not increasing as quickly as internationally nor where they should be.
For example, the Matildas are playing Spain (one of the world’s best teams) in Sydney in 5 months in one of the world’s greatest stages for a women’s sporting events in Australia and the crowd is a mere 15,000 – the stadium not even half full.
Yet when England plays Denmark in Sydney around the same time at the world cup the stadium is already sold out. Over 42,500 tickets sold and many to ex-pats who will be there to support their teams. The Matildas are the home team.
There are an increasing number of Matildas who play A league games in front of 100’s of spectators.
We cannot continue to just talk about supporting women, decreasing gender pay gaps, supporting women’s sport without actually doing something about it.
If we want true equality in our sports, other than a few like tennis and show jumping, we need to continue to encourage support from sporting bodies, government, and corporates but we also need go to women’s games, bring friends along to the games, watch them on television as equal pay can only be based on equal value to the audience.
So let’s go and support our women and their sports. Let’s be the change we want.
Financy is a fearless believer in equality and using data insights to accelerate organisational progress in diversity, equity & inclusion.
