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Gender In Sports

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Gender, Sport and the Media
Women’s participation in sport has historically not been given the same coverage, funding, prize money, sponsorship or respect as men’s.
1. When were women first allowed to compete in the modern Olympics? (1 mark)
Women competed for the first time at the 1900 Games in Paris. Of a total of 997 athletes, 22 women competed in five sports: tennis, sailing, croquet, equestrianism and golf.

2. Name five women who hold sporting positions in the media and what their positions are.
(5 marks)

 Erin Jill Andrews (a sports caster and host for FOX College Football)
 Michelle Denise Beadle (a sports reporter and co-host of Sports Nation on ESPN2)
 Charissa Jean Thompson (a television host and sports caster for Fox Sports) …show more content…
Men’s sports are going to seem more exciting as they have higher production values, higher-quality coverage and higher-quality commentary. When watching women’s sports, there are fewer camera angles, cuts to shot and instant replays so it’s going to seem like a slower game and become less appealing to the public. Furthermore, spectators have acknowledged that elite female athletes are simply not equal to their male counterparts in terms of physical ability as the difference is visible and impossible to ignore. Women’s sports that are identical to men’s sports – soccer and basketball, for example – will never be popular because men are faster, stronger and more athletic. On the other hand, sports that highlight the different strengths of female athletes – tennis, gymnastics, ice skating – are …show more content…
It highlights how women are paid significantly less in comparison to men and have to concentrate on working in addition to their training and sports commitments. For instance, Madonna Blyth, the captain of the successful women’s hockey team the Hockeyroos, is paid about $22,000 a year. On the other hand, her male counterpart is paid about $39,000.
Furthermore, the article suggests that women’s sports should be advertised and promoted so it will reach the same level of recognition as men’s through capitalization. “We’re not capitalising on the growth of the sport enough.” It also accentuates the fact that even if the female’s skills surpass the men’s and gain more victory, they still won’t receive as much publicity or media interest.
Additionally, female teams usually don’t have a main sponsor as they “are nowhere near the same value proposition to a partner that is looking for major exposure.” Since winning the Asian Cup, there has been no increase in revenue from the corporate partners. Whenever the Matildas play in Australia, it costs more to put on the match than the Football Federation Australia makes in ticket sales. Moreover, women often receive less respect and acknowledgment of their victories than men due to their gender differences. “I find it very frustrating that it’s so hard to get people to watch us and call us footballers, instead of ‘female’ footballers. No one says the Socceroos (are) the ‘men’s’

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