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this talks about the media coverage of men compared to women in the olympics 

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this talks about the media coverage of men compared to women in the olympics 

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mauro

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New research paints a bleak picture of gender bias in New Zealand sports coverage, revealing female gold medallists receive less coverage on average across their career than male athletes that have not achieved the same level of success.

Researchers have long recognised that gender influences the visibility of sport in the public. Wellington company Dot Loves Data sought to quantify the disparity in coverage in the mainstream print media, undertaking a comprehensive data analysis.

Using a text mining tool to count references to every athlete that has represented New Zealand at an Olympic or Commonwealth Games, the researchers calculated the number of mentions each athlete received in addition to the baseline average.

It found that any male competitor receives an additional 4.4 mentions on average, while a female gold medallist receives 3.7 mentions. Male gold medallists receive more than double the additional coverage of their female counterparts, with 8.1 mentions.

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The research, which did not take in the most recent Commonwealth Games, analysed nearly 42,000 written articles dating back to 1902.

Paul Bracewell, a partner at Dot Loves Data, said by tracking the number of mentions each athlete receives, it paints a clearer picture of the disparity.

"What the team tried to do with the statistical techniques that we used, we tried to make sure we ruled out as much information as possible, so we could get a clearer picture of what is going on," said Bracewell, who led the research project.

"So all things being equal, are those factors around medal or gender having more of an impact?"

Bracewell said while he expected there to be a gap in coverage, he was not prepared for the gender bias to be as glaring as it was.

"Especially when you go through and consider the difference between gold medal winners, that was a big surprise," he said.

New Zealand Olympic Committee secretary general Kereyn Smith said the organisation's own research has shown notable improvement in the balance of coverage during Games periods, but she believes there is still a massive gap in coverage outside of those times.

"I think more generally on an average week there is still a large discrepancy between the amount of coverage given to female athletes and teams."

The Dot Loves Data research sheds light on that discrepancy, with the numbers indicating male athletes are being tracked more closely across their careers. Their competitions and performances outside of Games periods garner more media coverage.

Double Olympic medallist Jo Aleh, who stood atop the podium alongside 470 sailing partner Polly Powrie at the London Olympics in 2012, said for the pair, a gold medal didn't prove a catalyst for widespread coverage of their results and performances.

"We got a lot of coverage at the Games, and then we came home and there were parades and things but then two weeks later it was pretty much back to normal," said Aleh, who with Powrie picked up a silver medal four years later in Rio.

"I probably thought it would change things a little bit more, and for some people it really has, but for us, it didn't really increase our profile in the media."

Aleh believes that had an impact on the pair's ability to attract sponsors and endorsement deals.

"We had some really good sponsors who wanted to help out with gear and other things, but in terms of getting those big commercial sponsors, it helps if you have a big ready-built profile."

Bracewell said now they have a clear picture of the numbers, the next step in the research is to look at the differences in sentiment and tone of the coverage.

This is an area the NZOC has been looking at closely in recent years as part of its efforts to improve the positioning of women's sport both domestically and globally.

Smith said while their own research has found the gap is narrowing when it comes to the quantity of coverage during Games periods, there is still a marked difference in the way stories are presented.

"What we were able to identify around the Rio 2016 Games campaign was that there were differences in terms of where and how females athletes were spoken about. For example, it was more likely that the front page and lead stories in the news bulletins would be about male athletes," said Smith.

"When it comes to the telling of the story, female athletes were significantly more likely to be spoken for by another person, and often that would be a coach or a staff member or family member, so that was something different in the presentation. They're also more likely to be photographed with another person, to be seen as more of a collective rather than an individual success."

Bracewell said the analysis of articles featuring Olympic and Commonwealth Games athletes found the NZ Herald's coverage was "slightly more equal" than Stuff's. A total of 23,503 articles were analysed from the NZ Herald's digital archive, while just 7638 articles were sourced from Stuff.

Stuff editorial director Mark Stevens said the findings indicate sports newsrooms must do better.

"The numbers are more of a disappointment than a surprise, and it's on us as a media organisation and industry to level the playing field, so to speak," said Stevens.

"To me, we have two issues to tackle. Firstly, we're not paying enough attention and dedicating enough reporting to women in sport. Things are changing - and I think more recent data would reflect that."

"But, secondly, we also don't have enough female voices in sport departments either. There's been a conscious effort in the last wee while to balance that but at the moment newsroom numbers still remain very stacked in favour of male journalists and male columnists.

"One of the key responsibilities I have is to ensure that our journalism better mirrors our audience. Our readers and viewers are extraordinarily diverse and it's vital to me that our content properly reflects that."

A full paper on the company's research, which has been peer-reviewed, will be presented at a MathSport conference in July on the Sunshine Coast.

- Stuff

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New study reveals stark gender bias in sports coverage

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New research paints a bleak picture of gender bias in New Zealand sports coverage, revealing female gold medallists receive less coverage on average across their career than male athletes that have not achieved the same level of success. Researchers have long recognised that gender influences the visibility of sport in the public.

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this article takes about the issues of gender equality in sport have gained significant traction all around the world.
-caitlin

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The University of Auckland’s Toni Bruce reflects on why gender equality in women’s sport is such a hot topic.

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Challenging the system for equality within sports

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Challenging the system for equality within sports

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This article talks about females should be given the same opportunity as men to compete and participate in sports to create a career. In the Rio Olympics it showed that only 28 percent of coverage was dedicated to female participants.
- Renee

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There's still so much distance to cover to level the playing field for women and girls in sport and recreation in New Zealand, says Women in Sport Aotearoa CEO Rachel Froggatt.

As I pulled up outside my local coffee shop the other day and got out of my car, an older woman approached me. She pointed at my vehicle branding and asked: "Why does that say 'Women in Sport Aotearoa'? Shouldn't it say 'People in Sport Aotearoa'? I think everybody should have the same access to sport."

In one breath, she had asked, and then perfectly answered, her own question.

Everybody should have the same access to sport. But women and girls in Aotearoa New Zealand do not have equity of opportunity to participate, compete and build careers in sport and recreation. The simple truth is this will not change without proactive help.

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The conversation with this inquiring woman then went something along these lines:

Recent research from Sport New Zealand reveals that women only make up 27 per cent of directorships in sport and recreation, and hold 40 per cent of leadership and management positions. Notable barriers include outdated recruitment practices and unconscious bias.

This research also shows that on average, women and girls are 12 per cent less likely to participate in sport and recreation, with the largest barrier being a lack of available, appropriate and safe opportunities in their local communities.

In terms of media, the New Zealand Olympic Committee released research following the 2016 Rio Olympics which showed that only 28 per cent of coverage was dedicated to our female athletes.

Around the same time, experts at Cambridge University Press analysed millions of words relating to men and women and how they are described in English language around the Olympics. Words most commonly used in stories about male athletes are: mastermind, battle, fastest, strong and dominate. For stories about female athletes: unmarried, married, ladies, older and pregnant.

And finally, we don't have much research available to show how equitable the system is for diverse groups, such as disabled people, or for those with a different culture, religion or sexual orientation. Or indeed, what happens when this is combined with being female?

Women in Sport Aotearoa are addressing this reality in several ways. Firstly, by working inside the system to challenge the system.

We're sourcing, initiating and distributing research to dispel myths and ideas about the value of women and girls in sport and recreation.

Secondly, we're leading the change by influencing policy and helping sporting organisations understand the economic and social benefit of fostering women in sports leadership roles.

We also act as a voice for the many thousands of women and girls involved in sport and recreation, from participants and competitors through to coaches and volunteers, leaders and directors.

We're increasing visibility by leading positive conversations around gender equity and we're challenging poor behaviours, especially around media coverage. In particular, we're working with some great advocacy organisations who are helping us better understand and tell the stories of diverse groups.

Finally, we are the global delivery agency for the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport Secretariat & Conference 2018-2022. The IWG is the world's largest network dedicated to achieving gender equity in sport and physical activity.

This means we administer key programmes, including the Brighton plus Helsinki Declaration, which more than 550 global organisations have signed, and we now lead the IWG's relationships with key agencies, including the United Nations and UNESCO.

It also means helping Aotearoa New Zealand and Oceania become proud global leaders by the time over 1500 experts arrive in Auckland for the eighth IWG World Conference in May 2022.

By the end of the conversation, this inquiring woman was a convert, and wished Women in Sport Aotearoa well in our continuing work raising awareness of these issues and encouraging positive change within our sporting system, and our society as a whole.

I then got back in the car, caffeinated in preparation for day two of a national forum of sport leaders, and reflected on what a timely question this had been.

On day one of the forum, over 100 people gathered. After circling the room twice, I finally managed to find another female leader. As the day went on, our numbers slowly crept up, and by the time I counted again at afternoon teatime, we had reached around 11 percent. It's one thing to understand under-representation in leadership on paper, but quite another to see it in action.

Women in Sport Aotearoa recently held the inaugural IWG Captain's Lunch for sport and business leaders, with the Trans-Tasman Business Circle. The event was a sell-out and is now Aotearoa New Zealand's largest event honouring the athletes, coaches and leaders working to create equity for women and girls across sport and recreation.

Our new patron, the Rt Hon Helen Clark ONZ, took part in a panel where she said: "There are tried and true ways of ensuring that women are at every level; women are always there. We should never accept the excuse that, 'Oh, we couldn't find women to appoint'. They are there.

"In the sports world, there are just stunning women who have come up through the sports stream, and other women in the corporate world who have experience of being directors, who could make a big contribution as well."

So, why are we advocating for women and girls in sport?

Because my inquiring woman outside the coffee shop was right. Everybody should have the same access to sport.

*Women in Sport Aotearoa, Ngā Wāhine Hākinakina o Aotearoa, is New Zealand's leading research and advocacy agency in sport and recreation. It is the delivery agent for the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport Secretariat and Conference 2018 - 2022.

This story was originally published on Locker Room at Newsroom.co.nz and is republished with permission.

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Why we're challenging the system for equality in sport

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There's still so much distance to cover to level the playing field for women and girls in sport and recreation in New Zealand, says Women in Sport Aotearoa CEO Rachel Froggatt. As I pulled up outside my local coffee shop the other day and got out of my car, an older woman approached me.

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This video talks more around the reasoning to inequalities in each sport and compares professionals from each one like ronda rousey and connor mcgreggor
- simon

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The Gender Pay Gap in Sports - A Dose of Buckley

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This article talks about the debate of gender inequality and compares different statistics on male vs females in sports.
- Merilee

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The Gender Equality Debate: A Boost for Women in Sport

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If you're familiar with us at Athlete Assessments, you might know we're big believers in gender equality and are passionate about equal rights, equal pay, equal opportunity, and equal recognition, not only just for female athletes, but for women in general.

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It's a long road to gender equality in New Zealand sport

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It's a long road to gender equality in New Zealand sport

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The article talks about the evidencing of women in sport, but doesn't have much attention. 'Go ahead and play, but don't expect us to pay attention.'

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It's a long road to gender equality in New Zealand sport

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Media coverage, money and governance is a hindrance to gender equality in the sporting world, Olivia Caldwell writes.

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This video talks about the history of woman's sports and role models the woman had.
Corey

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New Zealand Olympic Committee  - Women in Sport

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This article explains how gender inequality is currently still a problem in sports.
- Jada

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The issue of gender equality in sport is as old as sport itself.

Strides have been made, but sport remains an institution dominated by men.

Chris Gayle's flirtatious comments to Mel McLaughlin on live television reignited the debate this week. Were they another example of the "gender gap", or were they, as Gayle said, a "simple joke"?

In this instance it seems clear-cut. McLaughlin was a reporter trying to do her job. Gayle decided this was less important however, choosing to focus on her appearance during his answers to both questions.

In this he prevented her from doing the job well. Had it been a man interviewing him, it would not have happened.

And that is the problem. Whether the reporter is a man or woman should be irrelevant. They should be treated the same, just as a player or coach of either gender should be.

All a journalist, or anyone in any occupation, wants is a fair chance. You want to be judged on your work, regardless of whether that judgement be good or bad. Not only do Gayle's comments undermine McLaughlin's ability as a reporter, they do not even give her the chance to show what she can do.

Many comments on social media have passed it off as a joke, suggesting people are getting too politically correct. Either way you cannot ignore the wider issue at play.

In more cases than not, women remain the metaphorical "other" in the sporting environment.

Part of the spectacle of televised women's sports comes in superficial features which sees them objectified to please the target audience of males.

That is reflected in the incomes of various sportswomen. Maria Sharapova has topped Forbes' list of highest paid woman athletes in the world for the past 11 years, earning $US29.7 million according to the latest edition. It seems phenomenal that even in a year when she was rated outside of the top 100 in the world in her sport, Sharapova could still be the highest earner of all women athletes.

While she has had her successes, she has not even been the dominant player in her sport of her era. That honour goes to Serena Williams, one of the greatest female athletes of all time, who came in second on the 2015 list, despite her vastly superior record.

On the surface that is surprising. But really it is not. Prize money and salaries in women's sport pale in comparison to men's, making endorsement deals significant. In advertising, much of what counts for female athletes is fitting the "look" which will sell, not being the best.

Perform a search in Google Images for Sharapova, or Ana Kournikova for another example. Despite their successful tennis careers, there are few photos of them that are related to tennis. Imagine saying that about Richie McCaw or Brendon McCullum. Take nothing away from Sharapova. She has obviously made what she told Forbes were "smart [business] decisions", although it makes you wonder how things would be in a different environment.

However, that has spilled over to the sports themselves, as they have tried to incorporate features to make women more "attactive" while competing. Compare the attire worn in men's beach volleyball to that of women, or the way they are presented in gymnastics.

That is a problem. If we are talking about equality, the spectacle should be about the game and the participant's ability to play it. Superficial appearances should have nothing to do with it, yet having a certain look has become empowering. Of course if they want to pursue that in their own time, that is their call and if they do well from it, good on them. It is when it influences the sport itself that the issue arises.

Although even Sharapova pales in comparison to the top men's earnings, rating 26th overall. Floyd Mayweather leads the way with $US300 million and is followed by Manny Pacquiao, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roger Federer and LeBron James.

Not only are those men being paid more than every female athlete on the planet, they are all doing so on a more even terrain. While all marketable, they became marketable by being among the best to ever play their sports, for which they get extremely well-paid for before endorsements too. If female athletes had the same deal, would they still do everything else alongside their sporting exploits?

The pay difference seems a big issue, although stems from another. Some athletes make large sums of money for the organisations they play for. There is huge demand to watch these athletes and people will pay to do so, making it a profitable business. It is only fair that the athletes see some of this money then, given that without them, the industry would die.

There lies another problem. Television coverage of sport is still dominated by men, meaning men are making more money for their organisations.

That is largely because that is where the demand is. The crowds and viewing numbers for events such as the Rugby World Cup, the Ashes, the NBA and the English Premier League see the male versions dwarf their female counterparts. However it can also be argued that the media fuels the public's interest and over time, with more televised women's sport, perhaps demand would grow.

Things have improved. Athletes such as Lisa Carrington, Lydia Ko and Valerie Adams are now as high-profile as most in New Zealand and are recognised for their sporting achievements and character above all else. Four of the last eight Supreme Halberg winners have been women, an improvement on the overall 16 out of 66. The women's NPC rugby competition now has televised games, while the national sevens tournament includes a women's section.

Overseas we have seen leagues such as the women's Big Bash, the WNBA, the women's section of the UFC and international women's football begun and gain more attention. These types of sports - traditional male ones - are key and act as a marker.

It does create more questions though. Why does the women's version of the Big Bash have its gender in the title, while the men's is simply called the "Big Bash League"? It casts the women's league as the "other", suggesting it is the women's equivalent of the real thing, not the real thing itself.

Television coverage is improving, although women are still primarily used in sideline reporting roles. Why can a woman not fill the analyst's role in the commentary box, or even the lead commentators role? There is no reason why a woman could not have the best mind and analysis in cricket, rugby, football or anything other sport. They simply do not get a chance to show it.

Equality itself would imply banishing gendered sport altogether and having one game for all. That is probably not viable, although would work better in many sports than is given credit. If a woman is good enough, why should she not be able to compete at the level she is capable of, even if her opponents are men? Why should gender matter?

That last point is key. Gender should not matter. But, like it or not, in the sporting environment it still does. Whether it be as players, coaches or journalists, sport remains a male-dominated arena on so many levels.

While that is the case, incidents such as Gayle's interview remain significant.

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Gender inequality still a problem in sport

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The issue of gender equality in sport is as old as sport itself. Strides have been made, but sport remains an institution dominated by men. Chris Gayle's flirtatious comments to Mel McLaughlin on live television reignited the debate this week. Were they another example of the "gender gap", or were they, as Gayle said, a "simple joke"?

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Talks about benefits sport brings to woman's lives and how no countries have achieved equality completely - Kylan

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"Change lies in all of us." That's how Evelyn Watta, Vice-President of the International Sports Press Association, summed up the conversation at the Olympism in Action Forum "Women in Sport" Session on how sport can be a catalyst for empowering women and girls.

The focus of the panel was a discussion of the challenges still facing girls and women in sport, and how sport can not only empower females but also help produce tangible results when it comes to gender equality and greater inclusion and diversity.

For example, the Youth Olympic Games kicking off in Buenos Aires this weekend will be the first fully gender-balanced Olympic event ever. This builds on forward momentum from the last few Games and is expected to continue, with near total gender equality-at almost 49 per cent female representation- forecast for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

But equality, while a highly visible and immediate indicator of progress, is only one part of the equation. More women and girls need to feel empowered to participate and continue participating in sport from a young age, and this is still an enormous challenge in many parts of the world.

There isn't a country in the world that has attained gender equality, but with leadership and determination, you can outperform society, which is what sport does Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director
IOC Gender Equality Review Working Group Chair Marisol Casado -also President of the International Triathlon Union-spoke about the work done on gender equality in recent years, saying, "In the last ten years, even five, we've made huge progress." She also specifically noted the year-long efforts of the Working Group, which recently made 25 detailed recommendations in five main areas: governance, human resources, funding, sport and portrayal.

The Olympic family understands this is something very important, and that we serve as an important role model. Marisol Casado IOC Member, President of the International Triathlon Union & IOC Gender Equality Review Working Group Chair

In fact, parity and equality make a big difference not just in the ranks of athletes, but also in the administration of international sport. Simply put, there still need to be more women in leadership roles, though significant progress continues to be made. Brian Lewis, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee and Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) and member of the IOC Working Group, said, "Men have to give way to allow more women at the table... they have to also have the vision and commitment to gender equality and have to decide that they will mentor women."

There are currently three women up for election for IOC Membership at next week's IOC Session, and the number of female members, 29, has increased by 25 per cent in the last four years. The number of women in IOC Commissions has been increased to almost 43 per cent of the total membership. This is an increase of 98 per cent since 2013.

According to a study at EY, 94 per cent of women in leadership positions in the C-Suite today played sport. "Sport equips you as a woman to get to the highest level of business or leadership," said the Global Vice-Chair of Public Policy at EY and Founder of the EY Women Athletes Business Network,Beth Brooke-Marciniak.

Not just in business but in so many other areas, progress in gender equality in sport can have a ripple effect on society at large.

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Women in Sport: Where Are We With Gender Equality Today? - Olympic News

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ldquo;Change lies in all of us.” That’s how Evelyn Watta, Vice-President of the International Sports Press Association, summed up the conversation at the Olympism in Action Forum “Women in Sport” Session on how sport can be a catalyst for empowering women and girls.

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Gender inequality could hit NZ Rugby in the pocket

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Gender inequality could hit NZ Rugby in the pocket

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NZ Rugby chairman Brent Impey claims that the lack of any women on the NZR board could lead to less government funding which could mean the national game would take a hard financial hit - Travis

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New Zealand Rugby chairman Brent Impey believes his organisation could jeopardise future government funding if it fails to act on the lack of female representation on its board.

Impey issued an extraordinary plea to the rugby community at last month's AGM, urging the sport to do more to promote women in governance roles.

In its 124 year existence, there has never been a woman on the NZ Rugby board - an issue that's becoming an increasing source of embarrassment for an organisation that prides itself on being leaders on and off the field.

Impey told She's Got Game the sport is being held back by not having female voices around the boardroom table. The argument for greater female representation becomes even more compelling when women's participation numbers, and the anticipated growth in women's sevens post Rio are considered.

But if that is not enough to sway rugby leaders, Impey said there is also the potential for it to hit the sport in the pocket.

"In order to drive revenue to then reinvest into the game, we will need partnerships, such as with governments or other organisations, for example Sport New Zealand. It's hard not to see that - at some point - we will come under pressure to address gender diversity on our board from government if we want funding," he said.

It is a tack was taken across the Tasman in 2013, when Australian sports bosses threatened to withhold a percentage of government funding if sports did not meet modest gender diversity targets.

Earlier this the Australian Sports Commission also issued a warning to major sporting organisations that unless they bring equality to travel arrangements for men and women athletes, they could lose millions in funding.

Sport New Zealand chief executive Peter Miskimmin said this is not a path his organisation has considered going down just yet.

"We have no plans at this point to make investment dependent upon meeting diversity targets," said Miskimmin.

"We're going through quite a significant change in terms of our approach and attitude around sporting organisations to ensure that their boards reflect the people they're actually serving. We've been quite assertive in encouraging these organisations so when they're thinking about constitutions and board appointments, they're getting gender balance."

Sport NZ have a stated target of at least 40 per cent female representation on boards by 2020 across the 74 national sports organisations. They're on track to meet that target, with women's representation increasing from 28 to 34 per cent over the past four years.

But rugby, supposedly our national sport, is lagging well behind. NZ Rugby is one of five NSOs - the others being canoe racing, baseball, shooting and weight lifting - that currently don't have any women in governance roles.

Over the years NZ Rugby has come under heavy criticism for its lack of gender diversity, with the Human Rights Commission launching a campaign in 2012 demanding the sport do more to promote female leaders. In a brutal assessment of the national game, then-commissioner Dr Judy McGregor labelled the sport the "last bastion of chauvinism".

Impey said NZ Rugby has been hamstrung by constitutional and procedural challenges in the past, and wants to establish a working group to examine how they can address the gender imbalance.

Miskimmin believes simply having a leader in the sport prepared to step up and demand change is a huge step in the right direction.

"We've got a lot of women that want to go on boards, but we haven't got boards that are ready for women," he said.

"I do applaud Brent for standing up in what has been a fairly male-dominated sport, to say the world of rugby is different now and their decision-making processes should reflect that."

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Gender inequality could hit NZ Rugby in the pocket

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New Zealand Rugby chairman Brent Impey believes his organisation could jeopardise future government funding if it fails to act on the lack of female representation on its board. Impey issued an extraordinary plea to the rugby community at last month's AGM, urging the sport to do more to promote women in governance roles.

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Old mate from the cricket talking about wage gap. 

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Old mate from the cricket talking about wage gap. 

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Heath Mills discusses the wage gap in Women's sports and how women have to work other jobs in order to live. They are saying how women sports has been a hobby for most women as they get underpaid compared to the men. KEZ

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Kiwi sportswomen at the top of their game have gone without financial reward for a long time. Like struggling musicians, they practise their craft for pure love, knowing it likely won't pay the bills.

Apart from a selected few, women have been unable to claim sport as a primary career. They train, they play and they travel around the world, taking time off their 'real jobs'. Sport, for most, has been a hobby.

Even after cash injections from the Government and a change of heart from sporting organisations over the past 12 months, pay disparity between the genders remains the elephant in every boardroom.

For reasons such as earning power, crowd numbers, television viewers, sponsorship deals and player profiles - women's sport can often be the weakest link when it comes to company revenue, so the pay gap stays open.

READ MORE:
* Its a long road to gender equality
* Where are all the women in sport?
* Women commentators on the rise?
* Women in charge of Kiwi sports teams, unlikely
* Equality in sport, it is an argument for all

Sportswomen are short-changed on the time and commitment they take to play at elite level, but the wheels have started to turn and big players in sport are making changes.

Last year New Zealand Rugby reached into its kitty to pay the Black Ferns, one of the first of the big sporting organisations to pay women athletes.

Contracted Black Ferns now earn up to $20,000 in retainers, with match fees and assembly fees on top of that. NZR's Black Ferns legacy fund spreads $100,000 across the entire squad. It was a start.

Some of their counterparts in the All Blacks can earn an excess of $1 million a season. Squad members earn a documented $7500 a week, and negotiations for other players, such as All Black captain Kieran Read, can bump pay up to figures unknown.

Super Rugby players can earn up to $185,000 a season.

While the numbers between the men and women's national sides are mismatched, it is far from black and white to split the money down the middle.

If NZR were to rob "Peter' to pay "Paula", they would likely see a mass exodus of All Blacks chasing money overseas as the pay gap between NZR contracts and rich European clubs opened.

Secondly, the All Blacks give more of their time to the game than the Black Ferns as the men's calendar season is longer. Last year, the All Blacks played 10 tests in nine countries, while the Black Ferns played just five matches in four countries, including home games.

Thirdly, television audiences and crowd numbers are much larger in the men's game. Last August, 511,000 people watched Sky TV's broadcast of the All Blacks vs Wallabies test match at Eden Park, while 252,000 tuned in to the Black Ferns vs Wallaroos on the same night.

Sky's numbers for the All Blacks matches played overseas outweigh the Black Ferns even more dramatically.

Aside from gate sales, much of NZR's revenue comes from the All Blacks brand itself in the shape of sponsorship deals, gate sales at home and abroad, merchandise sales, Rugby World Cup revenue, television broadcast deals and so on.

The teams on these fronts are so grossly out of proportion it is probable NZR pay the Black Fernswith money they make from the All Blacks brand.

You could argue however, that $20,000 is underselling the growing Black Ferns brand.

In rugby sevens both national sides are in fulltime camps in Mount Maunganui and play roughly the same amount of tournaments per year. Both are elite performers, with the women holding the performance edge, winning gold at the Commonwealth Games last year and NZR's team of the year.

Yet the top All Blacks Sevens players receive a minimum retainer of $90,000, with the lowest ranked $40,000. The top Black Ferns sevens players are paid $60,000.

The uneven playing field does not flatten outside rugby.

New Zealand Cricket have 20 contracted Black Caps on annual retainers ranging from the top $236,000, to $100,000 for the last ranked 20. They receive a further $9000 per test, $4000 per ODI and $2500 per T20.

The White Ferns have 15 contracted players on retainers ranging between $35,000 - $21,000. They receive a further $420 per ODI and $310 per T20.

NZC have promised to look into the pay disparity between the men and women's game as they visit the memorandum of understanding in July. Players Association CEO Heath Mills says the women need more matches and exposure in order to close the pay gap.

Mills is realistic about the earning power of women's cricket, but says it can grow with a bigger investment from NZC, and the players association would be demanding that.

Rugby's cousin, rugby league, is desperately trying to take steps to reach pay parity, however the players in the women's NRL are earning less than one tenth of the minimum salary at the NRL.

The contract for players in the newly formed women's NRL Premiership is up to AU$9000 (NZ$9465) for a maximum of four games, which works out at AU$2250 (NZ$2366) per game.

The minimum contract for the men's NRL is AU$100,000 for the season. If a player was to appear in all 24 games, he would be paid AU$4166 (NZ$4381) per game.

While the goal is pay parity, New Zealand Rugby League chief executive Greg Peters acknowledges it's still a long way off.

The Kiwis were paid $5000 each for the test against the Kangaroos in Auckland last year - a drop from $20,000 they'd each got previously in Anzac tests. The NRL topped up the player payments, so it was the same as what the Kangaroos got.

The Kiwi Ferns, part of the triple header with the men at Mt Smart Stadium, receive a small daily allowance.

High Performance New Zealand (HPSNZ) have again withheld funding for basketball's Tall Ferns womenthis year, but have funded the Tall Blacks men$150,000.

The last time the Tall Ferns received funding from HPSNZ was $40,000 in 2012. In that time the Tall Blacks have received just under $1.85 million from HPSNZ.

The Tall Blacks and Tall Ferns have only four International Basketball Federation (Fiba) ranks separating them.

It would be difficult to accuse HPSNZ of gender bias In 2019 it committed $1.2m to womens' rugby sevens and $900,000 to the men, $500,000 to women's football and nothing to men's.

Football New Zealand looked to be frontrunners in pay parity, with it last year announcing world-first pay parity for both the All Whites (men) and Football Ferns (women). However, the lack of payment for both sides has seen this agreement labelled symbolic.

The landmark three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement granted the All Whites and Football Ferns equality in pay parity, prizemoney, equal rights for image use and travel.

Hockey New Zealand too agreed a memorandum of understanding with its players association in 2018 featuring a player payment model where the men's and women's national squads receive the same amount.

However the amount could be pulled back after a $2 million fund offered by businessman and philanthropist Sir Owen Glenn was frozen following the murky departure of Black Sticks women's coach Mark Hager.

The government committed $10 million in three years as part of its strategy for women and girls in sport - a first for a nation that often boasts its national sports teams (male and female) when marketing Aotearoa across the globe.

Are we progressing or regressing?

After the Black Ferns won the women's Rugby World Cup in 2017, the comedown for the players was huge. A team full of part-time rugby players went back to their day jobs as policewomen, teachers, firefighters and so on.

The post World Cup blues set in and the thought of committing to another year in the black jersey was overwhelming for many who struggled with lost hours in travel, lost income from time off work and even lost sleep juggling their love of sport with work and family.

The World Cup final hat-trick heroine, prop Toka Natua, told Stuff at the time she was struggling to adapt back at work as a graphic designer.

"Coming back and having my job and still training for it [rugby] - I felt like I wasn't giving everything in to what I love," she says.

"It was so hard trying to balance everything. Imagine if I did or could [be fulltime] how much better I would be."

The May 2018 contracts meant the players were placed on part-time salaries, but still must hold down full time jobs to make a living. Natua was one of those to get placed on contract and has again this year. She says it makes a difference as she was able to cut back some of her hours at work, in order to train more.

However, now these players are on contract with NZR, they are no longer able to talk about them with media, nor can they be as open on other issues as they were while amateur. Professionalism has hit the Black Ferns without the giant pay packet.

Though we are talking pay-parity, the monetary imbalance can ruck over the Black Ferns in other ways - last year the world champions travelled from Paris to Grenoble by train for eight hours, at their end of year European tour.

Two matches against France followed that railroading slog, one a historic loss. Imagine the furore if the All Blacks followed up a cattle class flight, with a historic defeat.

NZR travel policy stipulates premium economy travel for those flying more than six hours, this does not apply to the All Blacks who fly up the front of the plane.

In sevens, NZR have 20 fulltime professional Black Ferns Sevens and a further three part timers. One of the bigger personalities for the sevens team, rampaging prop Ruby Tui has said Stuff women from both codes struggle with job security.

"The 15s now have contracts, but I will tell you now it is not enough to live on. Those girls may have contracts, but they are still working full-time jobs - they're cops, they're teachers."

Juggling their paid work with rugby shows there is still struggle for elite sportswomen in New Zealand.

Sport pay disparity is global

Pay disparity runs further than New Zealand sport. The giant gap between men and women's top tier sports across the globe is in fact wider.

The highest paid male in sport last year according to Forbes was boxer Floyd Mayweather who earned US$285 million (NZ$416m), made up of US$275 million (NZ$402m) in winnings and US$10 million (NZ$14.6m) in endorsements.

US tennis star Serena Williams topped the women's chart with her total earnings of US$18.1 million (NZ$26.4m), US$62,000 (NZ$90,500) in prizemoney and US$18 million (NZ$26m) in endorsements. She missed much of 2018 after having a baby in September 2017.

Different sports yes, but even if you compare tennis' highest paid male Roger Federer with Williams, the two are not at the same level.

In 2018 Federer was seventh on the Forbes list for sport through his earnings of US $77.2 million (NZ$112m), from a combination of US$12.2m (NZ$17m) in prizemoney and US$65m (NZ$95m) in endorsements.

At the men's US Open in golf the winner's cheque is US$2.16 million, two-and-a-half times as much as the women's winner takes home.

Last year golf's highest-earning male, American Justin Thomas won NZ$12.8m on the PGA Tour, from 23 tournaments and three victories, while the LPGA's leading player in 2018, Ariya Jutanugarn, earned NZ$4.0m from 28 tournaments.

New Zealand's No 1 female golfer Lydia Ko was ranked 12 in the world at the end of 2018 and earned NZ$1.6m from 26 tournaments.

Kiwi golfer Ryan Fox was ranked just inside the world top 100 at the end of 2018, after winning nearly NZ$2.9m.

Statistics show the gap between earnings for men and women in golf is actually growing, even as women get more air time and better known.

Research by Golf Travel Centre shows that the top 10 female players net 82 per cent less per stroke than the top 10 males. That is a seven per cent bigger gap than in 2017, and nine per cent bigger than in 2016.

In cricket, the men's World Cup winners get more than the women by a multiple of seven. And in the latest ranking of the 100 highest-paid athletes globally, there is only one woman on the list - Williams at 51.

The highest-paid player in the Women's US NBA makes roughly one-fifth of the lowest-paid player in US NBA. The justification being audience numbers.

The NBA brings in over US$5 billion (more than NZ$7 billion). US broadcasters ESPN and Turner Sports pay a combined US$2.6 billion (NZ$3.7b) annually - while ESPN's annual commitment to the WNBA is US$12m (NZ$17.4m)

Tennis has long set a standard where both the male and female winners of the four grand slams earn the same amount. Both the winners of the Australian Open in January pocketed more than NZ$4m each.

So as the money train rolls into the station, it's still "ladies mind the gap".

What they earn in New Zealand (exclusive of match fees and individual sponsorship)

Rugby
All Blacks - The elite, in excess of $1 million/ Black Ferns - $20,000

Rugby Sevens
All Blacks Sevens - Up to $90,000/ Black Ferns Sevens Up to $60,000

Basketball
Tall Blacks - $150,000 team wide HPSNZ funding/Tall Ferns - No HPSNZ funding

Football
All Whites - $115 daily allowance/ Football Ferns - $115 daily allowance

Cricket
Black Caps- Up to $236,000/ White Ferns - Up to $35,000

Rugby League
Kiwis - $5000 per match/ Kiwi Ferns - Unknown daily allowance

Hockey
Black Sticks Men - $700,000 wide HPSNZ funding/ Black Sticks Women - $1,450,000 wide HPSNZ funding

- additional reporting by David Long

* Comments are now closed.

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When it comes to pay disparity in sport, every year is a gap year for women

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Kiwi sportswomen at the top of their game have gone without financial reward for a long time. Like struggling musicians, they practise their craft for pure love, knowing it likely won't pay the bills. Apart from a selected few, women have been unable to claim sport as a primary career.

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This talks about how the women Socceroos pushed women sport into the headlines because of the win over Brazil and was not reflected into their earnings if the women team wins the earn $5,500 each when the men wins $69,000 each.
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A long way to go until there is gender equality within sport. 

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A long way to go until there is gender equality within sport. 

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This article talks about how female participation in top sports is slowly increasing. It also talks about how females are payed unequally compared to men and that something needs to be done about it.
- Renee

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Fighters Quinita Hati (left) and Kelly Broerse battle it out at Auckland's Lethal Ladies fight meet. Photo by Michael Duignan

In sport, to say that things are slowly changing is to kick the ball into touch. It is to hope that the next ones with good field position will have more guts, and more pragmatism, than you ever did to get the job done.

While the last few years have seen some measurable improvements, real gender equality in New Zealand sport-like most female sport around the globe-has sat under a white flag since long-jumper Yvette Williams claimed gold in Helsinki in 1952, becoming our first-ever female Olympic champion.

Every generation, a star like Williams, Susan Devoy, Sarah Walker or Val Adams has risen up, become beloved, developed significant public credit, scored some good sponsorship deals and started a few conversations about equality. Williams, to put her significance in context, was in 1987 declared by Athletics New Zealand as its "Athlete of the Century"-beating out icons like Peter Snell and Murray Halberg.

Female participation in top-level sport in New Zealand is holding steady, if not increasing. Recent NZ Rugby numbers show female rugby player numbers increased 14.6 percent over the last year, while, for the first time, women will outnumber men at the national weightlifting championships in Auckland later this month. Female Kiwi athletes outnumbered their male counterparts at the last Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and won 61 percent of our medals, too.

In an impressive summary of where gender equality in Kiwi sport is at right now, Toni Bruce wrote, for Newsroom in March, that there is some real movement in the boardroom too.

In 2012, Sport New Zealand and the NZOC set a target of 40 percent women on all boards by 2020. Back then, only 27 percent of members on sports boards were female. That figure now sits at 35 percent with the 40 percent goal looking likely.

For the first time ever, this year 30 Black Ferns received professional contracts with NZ Rugby this March, with players receiving up to $50,000 a season. Prior to the agreement, the NZ Herald's Gregor Paul showed the difference in support between the All Blacks and their female colleagues to be stark.

At the 2015 Rugby World Cup, he wrote, the men were paid $7500 in match fees, while in 2017 women were paid just $2000. Retainers and bonuses meant the highest-paid All Blacks banked close to a million dollars in the 2014 World Cup year, while the top women's players would receive only about $18,000 in a World Cup year.

The year before, Football Ferns captain Abby Erceg unexpectedly retired from international football, at age 27, to protest the lack of the support her team received from its national body. "Time to move on to places where female footballers are appreciated, respected and endorsed," she posted on a social media account. "I hope NZF one day has this philosophy."

Fortunately, they would. New Zealand Football followed rugby's suit and signed a new labour agreement that saw both male and female players supported equally, following a prior example set by Norway.

Yet with these steps forward, there's still a lot of quicksand. Coverage of female sport, in the media, is an area of constant criticism.

Recent research cited by Bruce showed that female athletes were 11 percent more likely to be pictured with a spouse or partner, 20 percent more likely to be spoken for by their coach and, shockingly, 39 percent more likely to be referred to as a 'girl' as opposed to men being described as a 'boy.' Research by Bruce also shows only about 10 percent of published sports stories focused on women.

Obviously, that highlights the importance of the sports media in snapping itself out of an archaic way of considering gender in sport. Though Kiwi media coverage of female athletes has improved over the last decade, New Zealand Olympic Committee chief executive Kereyn Smith still slammed it as "horrifyingly bad." "There just hasn't been the storytelling of women's sport, and just the mass coverage of male sport continues to feed upon itself," Smith told Newstalk ZB in February.

Courage and leadership by editors can improve things, as Suzanne McFadden, the editor of Newsroom's Locker Room, a female sport-specific sub-site that has enjoyed impressive reader numbers, has shown. But with the entire industry in financial strife, expect publications and websites to continue to aim for page hits ahead of tangible change.

Of all of New Zealand's biggest sports, NZ Rugby-somewhat surprisingly-has been leading the way forward in recent years. In New Zealand, rugby has, and continues to hold, a privileged position of social and political power. For generations, its culture was unquestioned. The boys were allowed to be boys, from the changing sheds and pubs, from the home to the boardroom.

That seemed almost carved in stone, until a trio of incidents in 2016 and 2017 rocked New Zealand rugby: the Chiefs' appalling treatment of a stripper at a post-season party, and NZ Rugby's poorly handled investigation into it; the Losi Filipo cover-up by Wellington rugby; the Aaron Smith airport sex romp that cost him serious mana. The open secrets of misogyny, entitlement and ass-covering that stalked alongside rugby's enduring qualities of teamwork and mate-ship were out in the open.

Yet, at the top level, NZ Rugby didn't sit on its hands-it responded. Women's rights advocate Louise Nicholas was brought in by NZ Rugby to help address cultural issues towards women, while former Black Fern Dr Farah Palmer became the first female board member in 2016. There are strong inclinations that the next will be a woman as well.

Kiwi public policy could follow suit, too. Canada has already provided an impressive example. Earlier this year, the Canadian government pledged to have total gender equality, from salaries to governance, in all sport by 2035-and have pumped in C$30 million to start the ball rolling.

Out of the gates, the Labour-led government has talked the talk in New Zealand. March saw Grant Robertson, the Minister for Sport, announce that the promotion of women in sports was his number-one priority in the role. "If something is at the heart of our identity and we allow blatant sexism and under-representation of women to continue, then that will be at the heart of our identity as a country and none of us want that," he said.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern backed that up in August, when she told a group of female rugby administrators that if the sport wants to really prove it remains our national game, it must be more inclusive to women. The comments were roundly applauded, but that evening, in the bowels of Eden Park following an All Blacks victory, coach Steve Hansen asked the Prime Minister for more taxpayer funding to pay his players. "They should be our biggest sponsors because we're their biggest brand," he told media later.

The Prime Minister tackled those comments with political savvy, but walking the walk on women in sport is the next challenge. So far only $300,000 extra of taxpayer money has been earmarked for women's sport by the Labour-led government, which was focused on New Zealand chairing the International Working Group on Women in Sport (IWG) for the next four years.

That term starts this month, meaning the direction we take here will be felt worldwide. You'd have to think resources will have to increase, and soon. Time to stop saying we're changing slowly. Instead, how about this: change is happening because it's long overdue.

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Still a Long Way To Go Before There's Gender Equality in New Zealand Sport

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Fighters Quinita Hati (left) and Kelly Broerse battle it out at Auckland's Lethal Ladies fight meet. Photo by Michael Duignan In sport, to say that things are slowly changing is to kick the ball into touch. It is to hope that the next ones with good field position will have more guts, and more pragmatism, than you ever did to get the job done.

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this shows the fighters going through the sport with no role models
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UFC 193 Promo Rousey vs Holm (Best UFC Promo?)