A Latrobe University academic says now is the perfect time for sporting clubs to become more inclusive and help make the community safer for women.

Kirsty Forsdike is undertaking a two-year project exploring how prepared grassroots sports bodies are to tackle prevention of violence against women, and how they can be better supported in their efforts.

"Our Watch has spent a number of years looking at sport as a key setting for addressing the drivers of violence against women, like tackling sexist language and gendered roles," Dr Forsdike said.

She said clubs were a family space with diverse community members coming in to play sport regularly.

The project will work to the Victorian government's Guidelines for Preventing Violence Against Women: Taking Action Through Community Sport document that was released in March.

Researchers will ask clubs across a number of sports in the Loddon Campaspe and Barwon regions about their capacity to follow the guidelines.

They will then help provide any support needed to make changes — whether it be providing female change rooms, gender audits, or simply more inclusive club promotion.

Sports Focus Bendigo project partner Lauren Fawcett said her organisation had already done gender equality work with clubs in the Loddon Campaspe region.

"It's about creating environments where people feel safe and welcomed," she said.

She said it dealt with issues such as alcohol and drugs, cultural inclusion, and including people with disabilities, as well as women and girls.

"[This project] is taking that next step, understanding why these social issues are important and helping clubs actually support and drive change," she said.

Ms Fawcett said the return of sport after COVID was an ideal time to make change.

"Have a look at how you're running the club and what sort of opportunities you're offering, the culture and the general feel around the club," she said.

"Does everyone feel safe and welcome at your club?"

Helping clubs meet resistance to change

The government guidelines look at how sporting clubs can deal with resistance from their membership to these gendered issues and actions.

"We can work with them wherever they sit on the spectrum of readiness – whether they're not necessarily seeing it as part of their job in getting games up on the weekend or have already done a bit of work around inclusion," Dr Forsdike said.

It comes after Golden Square Football Netball Club committed to player pay parity earlier this year.

For the first time in the club's history, A-grade netball players have received a base rate of $100 a game, like the senior footballers.

Club president Ian Symons at the time said some senior football players would still get paid more, based on experience and loyalty, but they were keen for netball payments to match the footballers', even if it took a few years to catch up.

"I think it sends a clear message to all the players that us netballers are valued by the club just as much as the footballers," Golden Square netballer Maddy Keighran said at the announcement.

Preventing violence against women

Loddon Mallee Women's Health assists sporting clubs with training to identify and handle sexist comments and derogatory behaviour towards women and girls.

Chief executive Tricia Currie said if bystanders did something, a difference could be made.

Ms Currie said undertaking such training allowed people to "prepare themselves and have that internal conversation" when faced with situations that should be called out.

"When someone is putting women down, making sexist jokes or gaslighting, an active bystander has the skills to speak up or take action," she said.

She said the training also taught people to support other active bystanders.

"We know a really significant impact can occur when people challenge attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that sustain gender-based violence," she said.