Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has welcomed long overdue moves by the Australian Government to establish gender-neutral travel policies for all major sporting organisations.

Speaking today after Federal Sports Minister Susan Ley and Chair of the Australian Sports Commission John Wylie confirmed they have written to the 30 top government funded sporting organisations setting out their expectations for change, PFA Player Relations Executive Kathryn Gill said the proposed measures were welcomed.

“It is simply unacceptable that the country’s elite female athletes have consistently been denied the same travel conditions as our male athletes when competing for their nation,” said Gill.

“These measures are long overdue and are an important step forward in addressing the issue of gender equality, which to date has not been tackled in a meaningful way by most sports.

“The universal values of sport, which are so celebrated, have not been afforded to Australia’s most talented sports women. Rather they have consistently been treated as second-class citizens rather than the world class athletes they are.

“The Matildas, through the PFA, have long campaigned for improved workplace conditions. The introduction of these measures will ensure that players are provided with a high performance workplace that is fundamental for even greater success on the world stage.

“Our female members through the recent collective bargaining negotiations showed their willingness to play a major role in promoting gender equality in Australian society and remain determined to the light the way forward.”