Leadership ‘You Can’t Be What You Can’t See’: Pushing For Gender Equality In Sport At our International Women's Day event, an all-star lineup of Australian women discussed the achievements and shortfalls of the industry's move towards gender equality. By jitendermittal Published 10 July, 2025 Leadership ‘You Can’t Be What You Can’t See’: Pushing For Gender Equality In Sport At our International Women's Day event, an all-star lineup of Australian women discussed the achievements and shortfalls of the industry's move towards gender equality. By jitendermittal Published 10 July, 2025 Previous article Dear Rafi: Jamila Rizvi’s Open-Letter To Her Son On International Women’s Day Next article The Understated Art Of Receiving Feedback Courtney Gum’s four-year-old son, Buzz, thinks girls are stronger than boys. He’s come to this conclusion after sitting in multiple AFL Women’s training sessions. See, his mum is one of the star players for the GWS Giants in Sydney, who made her AFL Women’s debut at the age of 36.On Thursday Gum spoke at Future Women’s International Women’s Day event in collaboration with Twitter and Cricket Australia. Gum took the stage with Adelaide Strikers cricketer Megan Schutt, Australian Opals and WNBA basketballer Liz Cambage and Channel Seven sports presenter Mel McLaughlin to discuss the issue the entire nation can’t stop talking about in 2019 – the rise of women’s sport. The panel, moderated by sports reporter Sam Squiers, tackled everything from pay equality and raising children as an elite athlete to the value of a business class seat. From left to right: Sports reporter Sam Squires, Australian Opals and WNBA basketballer Liz Cambage, Twitter Australia Marketing Director Suzy Nicoletti, Future Women founder Helen McCabe, Channel Seven sports presenter Mel McLaughlin, Adelaide Strikers cricketer Megan Schutt and GWS Giants midfielder Courtney Gum. From left to right: Australian Opals and WNBA basketballer Liz Cambage, Channel Seven sports presenter Mel McLaughlin, Adelaide Strikers cricketer Megan Schutt and GWS Giants midfielder Courtney Gum. Sports presenter Sam Squires led an all-female panel discussion about gender equality in sport. For International Women's Day 2019, Future Women hosted a breakfast and all-female panel discussion on women and sport at the Twitter HQ in Sydney. Gum said she is seeing firsthand how issues like pay inequity and lack of childcare options are stopping younger women from pursuing a career in sport. “It’s a really difficult time for a lot of the girls… because it’s a massive commitment… and they’re essentially putting their lives on hold,” she said. “I do think over the next five years if the pay rate and the duration of the season in AFLW stays the same there will be a point where some people will have to choose between their career [or] an AFLW season. It’s just a difficult time in AFLW until it grows and the girls can make a little bit more money out of it.” gender diversity IWD2019 leadership sport Best Of Future Women Leaders Why Ilya stepped back from the business she poured her heart into By Ben Tweedie Leaders The most surprising part of being a first time mum had nothing to do with me By rosa762070 Leaders The #1 mistake employers make when multiple women leave By jitendermittal Leaders This is an exciting article title By Ben Tweedie Leadership New FW partnership to boost number of women in cybersecurity By jitendermittal Gender diversity Soft Power By jitendermittal Gender diversity Be honest. Did you think Bluey was a boy? By jitendermittal Gender diversity Cyber expert laments “lost generation” in online misogyny panel By jitendermittal Your inbox just got smarter If you’re not a member, sign up to our newsletter to get the best of Future Women in your inbox.
