Women in Sport

Victoria University is committed to creating no boundaries for women and girls in sport and physical activity.

Our work aims to advance women and girls in sport and physical activity based on five objectives to impact change:

create research insights and action
strengthen industry alignment and collaboration
build career pathways
advance workforce development
invest in women in sport.

Proud partners of women in sport

Research & industry insights on women in sport

Catherine Dell’Aquila sitting in business attire outside on bleachers

Reports, research and expertise

Local, national and global industry-based research to influence sectors on policy and strategy that will increase opportunities for women and girls.

Institute for Health & Sport (IHES)

Learn more about our range of research expertise within the broader field of health and sport.

Research turned into practical action

We welcome opportunities to collaboratively partner with public and private sectors to provide global and local evidence-based knowledge to help drive action.

See examples of our studies below. Feel free to contact the lead researcher of a project to learn more.

: What type of uniforms do women want to wear when they referee or umpire sport? (PDF, 3.5MB), Professor Clare Hanlon, Dr Elliott Flowers, Dr Chris Mesagno, Dr Kara Dadswell
A cross-sector approach to encourage women as leaders in male-dominated sectors (PDF, 5.5MB), Professor Clare Hanlon, Professor Vasso Apostolopoulos, Dr Wendy O’Brien.
A Guide for Action: To encourage women from culturally diverse backgrounds as leaders in sport (PDF, 1 MB), Professor Clare Hanlon, Dr Kara Dadswell, Dr Elliott Flowers
Building leadership and employment opportunities for women with disability, Professor Clare Hanlon, Associate Professor Zali Yager.
Change Our Game Champions to drive women as leaders in sport. Professor Clare Hanlon.
Good practices to encourage women as high-performance coaches (PDF, 373 KB), Damien Taylor, Professor Clare Hanlon, Dr Andrew Dawson.
: Factors relating to women and girls’ participation (retention and dropout) in sport (PDF, 907 KB), Professor Rochelle Eime, Dr Aurelie Pankowiak, Dr Jack Harvey, Melanie Charity, Professor Hans Westerbeek.
Women's Participation in Sport and Active Recreation in Melbourne's West: Action Plan for Change(external link). Professor Ramon Spaaij, Professor Clare Hanlon, Dr Fiona McLachlan, Professor Rochelle Eime.
Longitudinal trends in sport participation and retention of women and girls. Professor Rochelle Eime, Dr Jack Harvey, Melanie Charity, Professor Hans Westerbeek.
Barriers to adolescent female participation in cricket. Professor Rochelle Eime, Jenna Fowlie, Katrina Griffiths.
The implications of female sport policy developments for the community-level sport sector. Professor Rochelle Eime, Dr Meghan Casey, Jenna Fowlie, Melanie Charity, Dr Jack Harvey.
Sport participation in Victoria, 2019. Research Summary. Professor Rochelle Eime, Melanie Charity, Professor Hans Westerbeek, Dr Aurlie Pankowiak, Dr Jack Harvey.
What girls need in uniforms to feel comfortable to play sport and physical activity in school and sport settings(external link). Professor Clare Hanlon, Associate Professor Zali Yager, Dr Elliott Flowers, Dr Kara Dadswell.
Physical literacy for girls: The need for schools to develop girls who are physically literate(external link). Professor Clare Hanlon.
: Co-designing sport programmes with African Australian refugee-background young women to name, critique and transform the barriers they face in sport. Dr Carla Luguetti, Loy Singehebhuye and Professor Ramón Spaaij.
: Forging a new path to success for women in professional team sports: Research for evidence-based action. Professor Tracy Taylor, Professor Clare Hanlon, Professor Kristine Toohey
Reconfiguring women’s professional sport on and off the pitch. Professor Tracy Taylor, Professor Clare Hanlon, Professor Kristine Toohey.
The needs of players: NRL women’s premiership. Professor Tracy Taylor, Professor Donna O’Connor, Professor Clare Hanlon.
Evaluation of Gender Inclusion Strategy and Practices with Wyndham Basketball Association. Associate Professor Brent McDonald, Dr Fiona Mclachlan, Sophie Byrnes.
The Change Makers Project: Empowering Football Clubs on the Journey to 50/50. Associate Professor Brent McDonald, Dr Fiona McLachlan, Dr Carla Luguetti.
: Exercise interventions for improving health in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Dr Alba Moreno-Asso, Rhiannon Patten, Luke McIlvenna and the late Professor Nigel Stepto.

Physical Adherence Psychological Health and Immune Outcomes (PAPHIO Study) in women with breast cancer. Professor Vasso Apostolopoulos, Associate Professor Kathy Tangalakis, Dr Susan Irvine, Professor Lily Stojanovska, Professor Remco Polman, Katherine Harkin, Supa Pudkasam.
: Sex-Specific Epigenetic Adaptations to Exercise Training. Professor Nir Eynon, Dr Sarah Voisin, Associate Professor Severine Lamon, Shanie Landen.

The relationship of team and individual athlete performances on match quarter outcome in elite women’s Australian Rules football. Emily Cust, Dr Alice Sweeting, Associate Professor Kevin Ball, Hamish Anderson, Professor Sam Robertson.

Biomechanical characteristics of elite female Australian rules football preferred and non-preferred drop punt kicks. Emily Cust, Associate Professor Kevin Ball, Dr Alice Sweeting, Professor Sam Robertson.
: Towards improving the safety and wellbeing of women in sport (PDF, 3 MB), Professor Alex Parker, Associate Professor Camilla Brockett, Dr Michaela Pascoe, Dr Aurelie Pankowiak, Dr Mary Woessner.

Industry alignment & collaboration

VU Women in Sport ambassadors

Seven former elite athletes, current entrepreneurs, and leaders in the world of sport business are our Women in Sport ambassadors.

Australian Women in Sport Advisory

The Australian Women in Sport Advisory Group was established for two years (2019-2020) to guide a strategic and coordinated approach across sectors focused on gender equality for girls and women.

Winyarr Ganbina Women Arise; green indigenous art

Sports inclusion for indigenous people with a disability

Resources for sport organisations to improve access to sport for people with disability, in particular women and people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island backgrounds.

Build career pathways & advance workforce development

Career development & employability

Each year our students complete placements with one of 350 host organisations in the following fields: sport & exercise science, sport management, sport coaching, recreation, outdoor education.

VU creates career pathways for young women in sport

Between 120 – 180 young women and their teachers from Victoria attend our annual interactive forum to gain insights on careers in sport and participate in masterclasses with VU Alumna women.

Women in Sport scholarship fund

We are committed to developing female sport leaders of the future. Join us and support women during their sport studies who are faced with barriers.

2023 Careers for Young Women in Sport Forum - transcript

Invest in women in sport

Victoria University is focused on shaping the future of sport by championing the cause of women and removing participation boundaries for women and girls in sport and physical activity.

Susan Alberti interviewed about women in sport (YouTube)

"This is an exciting time for women in sport. There is an increased understanding in the industry about why it is good for business to have more women and girls involved in sport."