INTRODUCTION:
A couple of weeks ago
we looked at how
television and money are
changing sport...
This week, we focus on
women in sport.
Daniel Cooper reports
on the problems women
have had, and are still
having, trying to break
into the big time.
SCRIPT:
Until this century,
sport was seen as an
unladylike, even
dangerous activity for
women.
ACTOR
"I say .. a woman
playing sport!"
ACTOR
"How
unusual!"
VALERIE BEDDOE -
SPORTS CONSULTANT
"It's changing,
yes definately, but it's
very slow process."
Organised sport as we
know it has in fact only
been around for 300 years
or so.
So, men have basically
had a two century head
start ... and women
trying to break the male
grip have found it pretty
hard indeed.
VALERIE BEDDOE -
SPORTS CONSULTANT
"I think it's
just plain old fashioned
stubborness on a lot of
parts, in areas of the
media and corporate world
etcetera, to not take a
risk, and say this could
work, and will work, and
let's make it work."
Many people blame
television. Men's sport
was popular before the
electronic age, and it's
appeal has increased ever
since.
Up and coming female
athletes have felt
trapped .. they can't
become popular unless
they're on television,
and they can't get on
television unless they're
already popular!
VALERIE BEDDOE -
SPORTS CONSULTANT
"Ten years ago, I
think it was about 2.2
per cent of media
coverage devoted to
women's sport and it's
about the same now, which
is a bit
disappointing."
For girls, low media
exposure means there are
few heroes .. female
stars they can aim to be
like.
In fact, girls tend to
have male heroes...
NICOLE GLENNON -
SIENNA COLLEGE
"For a very long
time we've been watching
men's sport like over the
decades and everything.
People just don't want to
see women's sport. We've
grown up with men's
sport."
It's little wonder
then, more girls drop out
of sport, at a younger
age than boys.
Which means there are
less girls likely to
become inspiring stars in
the first place.
MICHELLE REED -
P.E. TEACHER
"They hit 15, 16
and if their friends are
going out they'll go out
with them rather than
dedicate the time to
playing sport, because it
does take a lot of time
training and playing
games."
Where there have been
great female athletes
they've tended to be in
individual sports, for
example athletics and
swimming.
Teams
sports have had much less
exposure, but some like
basketball and netball
are breaking through.
MICHELLE
BROGAN - BASKETBALLER
"Ten
years ago people would
have said what's women's
basketball, that's what
it was like when I
started. But nowadays we
get paid to play, we get
paid for promotions, we
still have to do a lot of
things for free and out
of our own time, but i'm
quite happy to do that if
it's going to help my
kids and the next
generation coming
up."
Michelle
Brogan plays basketball
for Australia and also in
the national league.
Even at
this elite level, there's
a difference .. the men
make more money .. but
the gap is closing.
MICHELLE
BROGAN - BASKETBALLER
"The
20 year olds now going
through, 20 to 25 are the
breakthrough. We're
getting little bits of
money now for little
things we do. We're still
in the half of ten years
ago, we still have to
work and so those sorts
of things, but I think in
the next 10 years it'll
change and go
professional."
Professional means
money .. advertising and
sponsorship. Getting it
hasn't been easy for
women, as Deborah Husdell
knows.
She's in charge of a
new magazine called
'Women in Sport'.
DEBORAH HUSDELL -
MAGAZINE EDITOR
"Women athletes
put in just as much time,
just as much effort,just
as much sacrifice to do
the training to become as
good as they are. I think
it just comes back to
tradition and the way
people have grown up with
men's sport."
When females do get
promotion .. it often
focuses on their looks ..
rather than their
performance.
DEBORAH HUSDELL
"It's unfortunate
for some, but that's
that's what sponsors look
for."
Even so, times are
changing...
Any many hope that in
another 10 to 20 years,
people will find it hard
to believe women's sport
was once less popular
than men's, and was even
seen as a joke.
ENDS/
