Look, this probably should have happened an age ago – and the fact that the problem exists in the first place is appalling – but, as the old saying goes, better late than etc.
Federal Health and Sports Minister Sussan Ley has put the nation’s top sporting bodies on notice: either provide gender-equal travel arrangements for your athletes, or face losing your funding.
Ley announced the Government’s intentions to begin enforcing a rule that would require elite sporting bodies to provide the same travel and accomodation arrangements for female athletes that they would for males. The controversy surrounding this issue arose during the 2012 London Olympics, when it was revealed that Basketball Australia flew their men’s team in Business Class to the Games, whilst the female side travelled in Economy.
Speaking to media, Ley expressed her bafflement at the existence of the disparity, and asserted the Government’s commitment to promoting elite female athletes in Australia, as well as their seriousness about tying de-funding to non-compliance.
“In 2016 we can think of no defensible reason why male and female athletes should travel in different classes or stay in different standard accommodation when attending major international sporting events such as world cups or championships.”
“Quite frankly I was shocked and surprised to find that in every sport it isn’t always the case that the guys and the girls fly and are accommodated at the same level of travel.”“I am prepared to tie the funding to compliance with this but I don’t expect it to come to an argument — I know it won’t, in fact.”“The Turnbull government and the ASC are committed to the fair recognition and reward of elite female athletes and to the promotion of female participation in all levels and forms of Australian sport. This is another important step towards fair and equitable recognition and reward for female athletes in this country.”
The Government-controlled fund for sport – the Australian Sports Commission – issues roughly $130million in funding to a variety of sporting bodies yearly. Female athletes attract around 10 percent of the total independent sporting sponsorship in the country, despite numerous world championships from female athletes and teams, steadily increasing TV coverage with matching ratings, and the rise in participation and quality of female athletes in Australia.
It’s a small step down a long path. But it’s the right step nonetheless.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald.
Photo: CFP/Getty.
