Women in Sport

Growing up in Australia

Sport was ubiquitous 

Sport on television, in the news, in the papers, school sport, weekend sport 

Women's teams weren't prominent

Or even there at all

Men in sport was just 

Sport 

But we had plenty of prominent women

Athletes like Cathy Freeman

Johanna Griggs

Liz Ellis

Louise Sauvage

Nova Peris

Susie Maroney

Susie O’Neal

Zali Steggall

Were in the public eye

As positive role models of their sport

And nation

The Sydney 2000 Olympics torch relay

Blazed into the stadium and

Celebrated a century of women’s participation in the Olympics

Dawn Fraser, Susie Maroney, Betty Cuthbert, Raelene Boyle, Shirley Strickland and

Cathy Freeman

Between them, the winners of 15 gold medals,

Household names admired and loved.

To have women literally carrying the torch

As the pinnacle of the relay

Said to sixteen year old me

Women in sport are important

Women in sport matter

But I have come to realise

That while I would like this to be true

At the present moment in time

Women in sport, for the most part,

Are second class citizens 

Still viewed as inferior

Not worth funding, promotion, or care

It wasn’t until 2012

That every participating country

Had at least one female athlete present

At the Olympic Games

That was last year. Not last century.

And even then,

The Australian women’s basketball team,

Winners of three silver medals over three Olympic Games,

Flew Economy Class to London

While their male counterparts,

Winners of zero medals over three Olympic Games,

Flew Business.

They weren't alone. The same treatment was accorded to the 

Japanese women's soccer team. 

Women around the world still require permission to participate 

As athletes 

The Super Bowl, World Cup, Grand Prix, Tour de France

All bar women from participating in the main sporting event

As competitors

Today, in the 21st century

Women’s sports are rarely written about

And when they are

The players are referred to as

"The Girls"

The coverage shows women uncovered 

Because “sporty women”

Can still be “sexy women”

Look at your television

Look at your newspaper

How many women’s sports teams

Are represented?

The statistics are abysmal

ESPN has launched a dedicated women's channel 

And held a summit 

A UK group have launched a new magazine

The UN wrote a report 

Grassroots movements are popping up all over the place

Despite fierce resistance 

The fact that we need to “raise the profile” of women in sport

In 2013

Underlines the problem 

I would love to see a day

When dedicated women's channels

And magazines

Are no longer required

When "sport" is not synonymous with “male” and

Instead means people, of any gender

Being active and competitive

At all levels

From backyard games to professional televised world events

Women and girls play sport

Let’s celebrate their success

In equal measure to the way we celebrate the men's

Let women participate at the top level

In any sport of their choosing 

And as participants or spectators 

Let us rejoice in the human ability

To move and play and compete

Across the world

The end.