The government has moved to pressure sports organisations into recognising gender equality in travel policies for Australian athletes.
Federal sports minister Sussan Ley is demanding the policy as a condition of federal government funding, and along with Australian Sports Commission chairman John Wylie, has written to the top 30 funded organisations on the issue.
“In 2016 we can think of no defensible reason why male and female athletes should travel in different classes or stay in different standard accommodation when attending major international sporting events,” Ley said in a statement on Wednesday.
The letter said the ASC was aware of some sports with very large revenue bases that were the worst offenders, with future funds from the government’s $134 million pool to be conditional on gender equality in travel and accommodation.
Professional Footballers Australia’s player relations executive Kathryn Gill, a current Matildas player who was at the centre of last year’s industrial action against Football Federation Australia over equal pay, said it was “simply unacceptable” that Australia’s elite female athletes had been denied the same conditions as male athletes for so long.
“These measures are long overdue and are an important step forward in addressing the issue of gender equality, which to date has not been tackled in a meaningful way by most sports,” Gill said.
“The universal values of sport, which are so celebrated, have not been afforded to Australia’s most talented sports women. Rather they have consistently been treated as second-class citizens rather than the world class athletes they are.
“The Matildas, through the PFA, have long campaigned for improved workplace conditions. The introduction of these measures will ensure that players are provided with a high performance workplace that is fundamental for even greater success on the world stage.
“Our female members through the recent collective bargaining negotiations showed their willingness to play a major role in promoting gender equality in Australian society and remain determined to the light the way forward.”
Cricket Australia said it was committed to improving the conditions of Australia’s world champion women cricketers.
“We are working on a number of things to further professionalise the women’s game, including increasing pay for domestic cricketers and providing greater on and off-field opportunities for our players through initiatives such as the Women’s Big Bash League,” a CA spokesperson said.
“Addressing discrepancies between the class of air travel for male and female cricketers is another important issue that we are committed to resolving.”
Surfing great Layne Beachley also welcomed the move.
She cited the case when the Australian women’s class travelled in premium economy to the London Olympics while the Australian men’s team went in business class, prompting a controversy which led Basketball Australia to form a gender neutral travel policy.
“It’s not fair and it’s not necessary,” Beachley told ABC News 24. “It’s great to see the government coming down heavier on the sporting organisations saying you need to start supporting your female athletes.”
Beachley said she had often witnessed the gender gap in other forms in her time as a professional surfer before she retired in 2010.
“There was huge disparity between the level of prize money, level of endorsements, level of marketing opportunity,” she said. “Now we are seeing that gap narrow.
“It will take time but it starts with education, awareness and someone taking a stance and saying this is unacceptable, we need to change it.”
