The pay, ranking and status of female athletes should be protected when they have children, according to groundbreaking recommendations released on Thursday and backed by the federal government – including athletes who take time away from sport to prepare for having a child or to undergo fertility treatment.
The Australian Institute of Sport, Central Queensland University and the Queensland Academy of Sport jointly developed the recommendations designed to support athletes from preconception to parenthood.
One recommendation calls for clear protections, including contract security, funding protection and alternative work arrangements “for a minimum of 12 months”.
The recommendation also covers those who step away from sport in the period of preconception, defined as when “planning for pregnancy or maximising their chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy at a later date”.
The minister for sport, Anika Wells, said she wanted to see “more mums and aspiring mums” prominent in sport.
“Athlete mums are among our best athletes, just look at marathon mum Jess Stenson or world record-holder Vanessa Low, both of whom actually achieved greatness as parents,” she said.
“There shouldn’t have to be a choice between motherhood and athletic success and in fact, the qualities developed through being a mum, including resilience, are ideal for elite competition.”
This month, tennis governing body the WTA introduced rankings protections for those who undergo fertility treatment, guaranteeing their entry into up to three tournaments.
Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) and Football Australia have improved conditions for mothers in Australia’s most prominent women’s team, the Matildas, especially in the previous two rounds of bargaining.
Provisions now include support for children up to the age of four within camps and 12 months paid parental leave for a primary caregiver of any gender.
Those rights are in addition to Fifa requirements to respect athlete absences related to menstrual health if medically certified and its ban on contracts that are conditional on the outcome of pregnancy tests.
Former Matilda Kate Gill, who spent five years as chief executive of PFA, said Australian national players enjoyed a “best-in-class” parental leave policy which the new recommendations improved on in some areas, such as in preconception planning support.
“This critical addition would complete the athlete support journey and ensure Football Australia maintains world-leading standards for elite athlete parents,” she said, noting the policy needed regular review given the pace of development in this area, and that A-League Women players can’t be left behind.
The AIS female performance health initiative project lead, Dr Rachel Harris, said the recommendations were designed so athletes don’t have to choose between parenting and a career in sport, “but unfortunately that’s the reality for a growing number of female athletes,” she said.
“Many athletes are reaching their late 20s, early 30s and are wanting to start a family, however a lack of support is leading them to early retirement. These evidence-based recommendations will help sports retain great athletes who have the potential to perform for another 10 to 15 years.”
