Fundraising for Women's Sports in New Zealand
Fundraising for Women's Sports in New Zealand
Infographic Report Released February 26, 2024
Kia ora! WOMENZSPORTS is not a funding agency or a research firm...but we are passionate about women's sports in Aotearoa.
Through Instagram (@WOMENZSPORTS) and our weekly podcast ("WOMENZSPORTS presents Alice's Soapbox"), we've heard heaps of stories about the funding struggles of women athletes in Aotearoa New Zealand.
So, in February 2024, we asked 150 New Zealand women athletes/teams who were actively fundraising for their sport to share their experiences with raising money to compete.
Here’s what we learned:
There are 4 top issues facing women athletes and teams when fundraising in New Zealand:
Disparity in funding and resources between men’s and women's sports.
Individual athletes encounter greater difficulty than teams.
Minority sports encounter greater difficulty than mainstream sports.
Cost of travel (domestic & international) is a significant barrier.
While we surveyed 150 women athletes/teams representing 14 regions across New Zealand and 40+ sports, their experiences were astoundingly similar:
79% of respondents said “There are limited funds available that specifically target women's sports.”
75% of respondents said “Potential sponsors aren't aware of my sport (and/or that women play my sport).”
46% of respondents said “Funds or resources are allocated to men's sport instead of women's sport.”
30% of respondents said “Men athletes receive funding that isn't available to women.”
Although we are new and self-funded, we want to do our bit by coordinating an International Women's Day Fundraising Campaign with a matching contribution made by WOMENZSPORTS.
Questions? Get in touch!