The Howard Government is failing to deliver on its promise to lift the profile and media coverage of women’s sport.
Recent reports that members of the Hockeyroos felt pressured into posing naked in order to raise the profile of their sport demonstrate the failure of the Coalition to fulfil their promise to Australia’s female athletes.
Six years ago, then Minister for Sports Warwick Smith launched An Illusory Image: A Report on the Media Coverage and Portrayal of Women’s Sport in Australia. At that time, there was a genuine belief that the Howard Government was going to act on the report’s recommendations, which were designed to raise the profile and sponsorship of women’s sport.
Instead of acting on the recommendations contained in this landmark report, the Howard Government scrapped the Prime Minister’s Women in Sport award and downgraded the Women in Sport unit at the Australian Sports Commission.
Consequently, several high profile female athletes and sporting teams have resorted to posing for calendars or magazines, some even altering their uniforms to be more revealing in order to garner increased media coverage and sponsorship.
The inability of our world champion Hockeyroos to acquire sufficient sponsorship highlights the failure of this Government to take women’s sport seriously.
Former Minister for Sports Jackie Kelly’s claim that the Coalition’s policy for women’s sport is “responsive to women’s values and perspectives” is now seen as little more than shallow rhetoric.
In six years, the Coalition has achieved very little progress in terms of improving opportunities for women’s sport in Australia, despite Australian women dominating in so many international sports.
It is now incumbent on Minister Rod Kemp to take decisive steps to assist those female athletes and women’s sports that are struggling to achieve sufficient television coverage and sponsorship.
Media contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295
