Changing the game: advancing equality in Australian football

About the project

From the record-breaking Women’s World Cup in 2023 to thousands of grassroots teams taking the field every weekend, participation in football across Australia has never been stronger. Yet despite major gains in visibility and representation, progress towards genuine equality isn’t moving fast enough.

In a national first, we have joined forces with Women Onside to launch a landmark research project exploring the experiences of women and gender-diverse people who play, work, volunteer, or officiate in Australian football.

This groundbreaking research will provide vital insights into inclusion, leadership, and opportunity across all levels of the game — from community to professional. By combining academic research with community advocacy, this partnership aims to shine a light on both the progress achieved and the barriers that remain — and to help build a stronger, fairer, and more inclusive game for all.

What we're investigating

While the surge of interest in women’s and gender-diverse participation in football is undeniable, the underlying gender dynamics shaping people’s experiences in the sport remain under-examined. Many continue to encounter cultural and structural barriers, limited pathways to leadership, or discrimination and bias that restrict full participation.

This project addresses these gaps by:

• Conducting a cross-sectional national survey of women and gender-diverse people across playing, coaching, administration, officiating, and volunteering roles in Australian football.
• Exploring themes of representation, leadership, inclusion, discrimination, safety, and belonging across different levels of the game.
• Producing data-driven insights that can inform policy, advocacy, and organisational change within clubs, associations, and governing bodies.

By capturing experiences from across the football community — on the pitch, on the sidelines, and behind the scenes — this research will help identify what’s working, where inequalities persist, and how we can collectively drive change

Why it matters

The growth of women’s and gender-diverse participation in football is one of the sport’s great success stories. But growth alone does not equal equality.

Without evidence, persistent inequalities can remain unseen and unaddressed. This research will generate the data needed to guide meaningful action and ensure that the game’s progress is both inclusive and sustainable.

The project will:

• Provide the first comprehensive national dataset on gendered experiences in Australian football.
• Support policy-makers, governing bodies, and clubs to make evidence-based decisions that advance equity and inclusion.
• Amplify the voices of women and gender-diverse people in football to ensure their experiences shape the game’s future.
• Contribute to a broader understanding of how to make sport workplaces and communities safer, fairer, and more welcoming for everyone.

Women Onside

Women Onside is a national independent non-profit organisation advocating for women and non-binary people in Australian football. Through advocacy, education, and community building, Women Onside connects and amplifies voices across all levels of the game to drive structural and cultural change.

Project outputs