Each Wednesday the Sport for Business Women’s Sports Centre highlights wins around Ireland and the World for Women’s sport. It’s not a token nod, rather an attempt to highlight that the growth of Women’s sport is not something that will happen in the future, it’s already here. The Sport for Business Women’s Sport Centre is supported by our friends in Liberty Insurance.
LONG ROAD STILL TO TRAVEL ON MEDIA COVERAGE
An article by Jane Martinson in the Guardian this week has highlighted the still major challenge that is presented by the presentation of Women’s sport in national media.
She reveals that a survey carried out during last month’s Women’s Sport Week found that only 1.8 per cent of the sports stories were written by Women and that in terms of photography only 3.4 per cent of the images shown were of Women with the majority of those made up of Maria Sharapova in relation to her return from a drugs ban.
Martinson further adds fuel to the fire of an argument on inequality by referencing the quality of the coverage and the relevance in pure sporting terms.
Television and radio both in the UK and Ireland have been showing marked gains in terms of the willingness to cover and the audiences for sport based on quality rather than gender.
The irish Times here has a dedicated space for Women’s sport and a long term commitment with Sport Ireland to the Sports Woman of the Month and Year Awards.
In terms of owned media Women’s sporting organisations are proving adept at producing content that will reach their own audience and this in turn will drive what is still known as mainstream media to take more heed.
Sponsors here are playing their part as well with Lidl and Liberty in particular using valuable advertising muscle to promote Women’s Sport.
Things are moving in the right direction and there is an inevitability that equality will one day be seen as the norm in sport as it is in every other area of our social discourse.
This is a wake up call though to ensure that what gains that are being made need to be nurtured and reported on so that sponsors continue to see the merit and potential and are not scared away by smaller metrics than are deserved.
Read Jane Martinson’s article in the Guardian here
TEAMING UP FOR WOMEN’S SPORT
We will be joined by Sally Hancock, Managing Partner of Y Sport and Chair of Women in Sport in the UK, and by Minister of State for Sport Patrick O’Donovan who will outline the ambition of Government to ensure a more level playing field for Women’s sport.
Lidl and Liberty Insurance will be among those outlining why they chose to get involved as partners of Women’s sport and we will also look at a number of different ideas, including from those who are among the audience as to how we can make a real difference to Women’s Sport in 2017.
We will also have a panel of Women who are competing at the highest level to share their stories of success and what they had to overcome. These will include irish Women’s Rugby Captain Niamh Briggs and Paralympics medallist from Rio, Ellen Keane.
The Event will take place from 10am until 2pm at the Griffith College Conference Centre on Dublin’s South Circular Road on Wednesday November 30th and places are filling fast.
IRISH CRICKET WOMEN’S BREAKTHROUGH
Two young stars of Irish Women’s cricket have been selected among eight players to take part in a major tournament in Australia aimed at developing talent.
Kim Garth and Gaby Lewis will join players from Scotland, Papua New Guinea, Nepal, Hong Kong and China in the joint initiative between Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council.
Irish vice-captain Garth will join the Sydney Sixers, while 15 year-old all-rounder Lewis will be part of the Hobart Hurricanes squad.
“I will be working really hard on my game during my time in Sydney, which will also be great preparation for the World Cup Qualifiers in Sri Lanka in February,” said Garth.
Sport for Business’ Women’s Sport Centre is supported by Liberty Insurance
