Women in sport
Earlier this year at the
Sportswomen's Ball at
Parliament House, the top
100 Australian female
athletes of all time were
announced…
Task: Brainstorm famous Australian
female athletes
How well do you know your Australian
female sporting heroes? Try to name them
Answers:
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Layne Beachley – Surfing
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Dawn Fraser –
Swimming
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Betty Cuthbert - Athletics
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Karrie Webb - Golf
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Lauren Jackson –
Basketball
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Liz Ellis – Netball
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Shirley Strickland Athletics
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Cathy Freeman –
Athletics
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Rechelle Hawkes –
Hockey
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Anna Mears – Track
Cycling
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Margaret Court - Tennis
Heather McKay – Squash
a)
b)
c)
When was the last time you watched a game of
women’s sport live or on television?
Why isn’t there as much women’s sport on
television as men’s sport?
How much do the current elite Australian male
sportsmen make a year?
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Women were relegated to the role of spectators
for many years and not allowed to compete in
all sport.
Women’s sporting events gain very poor
television coverage compared to men.
Female elite athletes in Australia mostly work
full time to support themselves eg. Elite
basketballers and netballers.
Female athletes are often victims to
sexploitation to gain financial support.
In 1967 women were still unable to compete in the
marathon (42.2km). So called experts insisted women
were unable to run so far without doing physiological
harm to themselves. It was suggested women could
have heart attacks or become sterile. In 1967 one
woman changed peoples opinions.
://kathrineswitzer.com/about-kathrine/1967boston-marathon-the-real-story/
Task: Read part of the Marathon Woman’s story
and write a two paragraph summary of her story.
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The highest paid professional sporting code in the
country is Australian Rules Football. Players earn on
average $272,000 per season.
In comparison female netballers in the trans-Tasman
series are paid $10,000 per year for match payments.
Netballer’s in Australia are fighting for a $10,000 pay
rise for next season. For these reasons female players
must work day jobs as well as train or look at product
endorsements. This has led to ‘sexploitation’ occuring.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/women-deservesporting-chance-ellis/2006/08/02/1154198205721.html
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The Australian Sports Commisson states
‘Sexploitation applies to forms of marketing,
promotion or attempts to gain media coverage
which focus attention on the sexual attributes
of female athletes, especially the visibility of
their bodies.’
http://www.mydailynews.com.au/news/roxypro-teaser-video-slammed-criticssexploitatio/1936132/
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Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova once again led the
Forbes list of highest-paid female athletes, the magazine
reported Tuesday.
According to the Forbes, Sharapova has earned 29 million
U.S. dollars between June 2012 and June 2013.
Sharapova is on top for the ninth straight year.
Maria Sharapova is not the world number one player
The 26-year-old Russian has received that money from
tournaments prizes and sponsors endorsement deals.
Besides being a successful athlete, Sharapova also
launched a candy business in 2012 and looks forward to
expand into fashion, accessories and make-up, the Forbes
said.
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Research three of Australia’s most successful
sports women. Write a sporting biography for
each to learn more about their achievements.