Still unequal: the gender gap in sports funding
Progress has been made in women’s sport, but we’re not there yet, especially when it comes to funding.
From local clubs to elite teams, the gender gap in sports funding remains a serious issue. Research from Sport Australia and the Australian Sports Foundation continues to show that female athletes and women’s programs receive significantly less financial support, media coverage, and sponsorship compared to their male counterparts.
Even at a professional level, the Australian Sports Foundation says, “While many athletes rely on competition prize money to support their endeavours, globally, female athletes are estimated to earn just 1% of what their male counterparts make through sport.”
However:
“Sponsorships of women’s elite sporting properties outperform men’s elite sporting properties in brand awareness, brand consideration and customer conversion.
Early corporate supporters of women’s elite sport in Australia are benefitting from more than $650 million in customer value each year.
Every $1 invested by a corporate sponsor into the visibility of women’s elite sport is supporting the realisation of, on average, $7.29 in customer value for that organisation.”
At the grassroots level, the funding gap often plays out in small but telling ways: older equipment, fewer training opportunities, or shared fields and facilities.
For a club like Alamein FC, dedicated exclusively to girls and women, our efforts to close this gap are a daily commitment. It means we rely more on volunteers, community and sponsor partnerships, and creative fundraising to deliver the top-tier quality experience that our players deserve. And it means we have to work even harder to ensure every girl or woman who wears an Alamein jersey feels just as valued, supported, and resourced as any male at any other club.
The good news? Change is possible.
We’ve seen local councils, grant programs, and sponsors begin to shift their focus, but it takes ongoing advocacy and action. When a sponsor chooses to support a girls’ team, or a parent helps lobby for better facilities, it chips away at the imbalance.
We’re proud to be part of that movement. But we also know we can’t do it alone.
Fair funding isn’t just a numbers game: it’s about fairness, visibility, and believing in the potential of every player. Because equality on the field starts with equity off it.