The Australian Football League's announcement that they will introduce a national premiership competition for women's Australian football teams is only one example of the AFL community's increasing acceptance of the role played by women in sport.
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For many women who pursue a sporting career or even just an individual love and passion of it, they are confronted by injustice and the manifestation of issues representing the pinnacle of gender inequality. For others, mainly men, they don't see an issue as their preoccupation is centered on the 'all male' version of a particular sport or category of a sport.
In considering the various ways women are involved in sport, I found a spectrum where at one end were sports that involved men only. For example, formula one car racing and MotoGP motorcycle racing. At the other end were sports where women exclusively competed against other women, such as netball. In between were two categories where men and women can both compete in the same sport. The first of these is where there are separate men's and women's competitions, such as the differing football codes, basketball, and boxing, amongst others.
The second is where men and women compete against each other on equal terms, such as during some equestrian, archery, and shooting events.
Overwhelmingly, and across the board, the issue of greatest concern is the level of unbalanced, biased and one-sided media coverage of sport from a male perspective. In the past the community may have had an appetite for this but the times are changing and the improved attitude to women and women in sport likewise needs to be reflected by better supporting the endeavours and success of our female athletes.
The hugely powerful influence that sport has on influencing behaviour could help to lead the way in improving gender equity issues and attitudes throughout the wider community.
