Women Onside applauds the Federal Government's recent announcement of a Gender Equity Board Policy for National Sporting Organisations (NSOs). This landmark initiative, revealed by Minister for Sport Anika Wells, is a positive and necessary step towards greater representation and inclusion of women in sport at the governance level. It reflects a broader commitment to equality, ensuring Australia's sporting bodies are held accountable for achieving gender balance on their boards.
At Women Onside, we have been tracking gender representation within the leadership of football in Australia since 2021 through our WO Index. The data gives us critical insight into the state of gender equity across the sport, focusing on the boards of Football Australia and its nine member federations.
As of January 2024, the WO Index shows mixed results:
6 out of 10 governing bodies have achieved at least 40% representation of women on their boards, which means that 4 out of 10 have not yet met this standard.
Only 3 out of 10 governing bodies have a chair or vice-chair who is a woman.
Just 1 out of 10 governing bodies has a female CEO.
While there has been progress in gender representation on boards, with the majority meeting the 40% target, these figures clearly demonstrate that leadership at the highest levels remains overwhelmingly male. The lack of women in chair and CEO roles is a stark reminder that deeper structural change is needed to unlock the full potential of gender equity in football governance.
The government's new policy sends a strong message: it's time for sporting organisations to lead by example. For football to grow in an inclusive and representative way, we must ensure women are not only present but actively shaping the sport's future. The Gender Equity Board Policy is an opportunity to drive this change across all levels of governance, and Women Onside will continue to monitor progress closely.
Diversity in leadership leads to better decision-making and stronger organisations. Women Onside remains committed to advocating for the inclusion, development, promotion, and better resourcing of women in football at all levels.
With the Federal Government's policy, we look forward to seeing all NSOs—particularly football—embrace gender equity to build a more inclusive, vibrant future for sport in Australia.
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