Volume 36 December 2006 www.agsa.org.au in alliance in this issue GirlsGirls andand SportSport Eyes on the ball: Cricket at Seymour College The Alliance of Girls’ Schools PO Box 22 From the President... Cleveland Qld 4163 Australia Beth Blackwood Executive Officer Jan Butler T/F: +61 7 3488 2686 E: [email protected] President Summer has announced its arrival in Australia the first survey in 1980. However, results showed Beth Blackwood through the shift in media coverage from football to only 10.7% of newspaper sports space was devoted to Presbyterian Ladies’ cricket. So … with the theme of girls and sport in women’s sport, compared with the men’s at 79.1%. College, WA mind for this edition of in Alliance I could not help Women were often described in ways that stressed but reflect on the equity issue with regard to weakness, passivity and insignificance, deflecting Executive television and other media coverage of women and attention from their athleticism. Like Schell’s Kitty Guerin sport. research, the Australian Sports Commission reported Our Lady of Mercy that sportswomen “were frequently portrayed as girls, College, NSW A website search revealed that I am not alone in no matter what their age”. Helen Jackson pondering the issue. Lea Ann Schell, in her article Pascoe Vale Girls’ (Dis)Empowering Images? Media Representations of Schell asks whether we should be concerned and College, Vic Women in Sport states that “Since … the fitness boom concludes that such portrayal “greatly restricts the Christine Jenkins of the 1980s, the number of girls and women availability of role models and representations that Korowa Anglican Girls’ participating in competitive and recreation sports has depict a wider range of women involved with sport, School, Vic dramatically increased. Subsequently, more female and may discourage young girls from engaging in athletes and women’s sports have been in the those sports deemed unfeminine.” Susan Just international and national spotlights through Canberra Girls’ Schell encourages those concerned to challenge television, newspapers, and magazines. The seeming Grammar School, ACT media to increase the coverage they provide of optimism generated from such an increase in media women’s sport as well as extending “the range of Ann Mildenhall attention given to women’s sports, however, is offset Diocesan School for diversity to include coverage of racial and ethnic by the fact that men’s sports continue to receive more Girls, Auckland, NZ minorities, larger women, women with disabilities, coverage than women’s sports, and minority women and older women. We must support (financially and Belinda Provis are practically non-existent in sports coverage.” philosophically) those media who do not objectify Seymour College, SA Moreover, “when female athletes are the focus of women athletes or trivialize their athletic endeavors, Karen Spiller media attention, the images often sexualize and but do provide positive role models and celebrate the St Aidan’s Anglican trivialize their efforts … most covers and story accomplishments of women from various Girls’ School, Qld photographs featured white, slender models wearing backgrounds. Finally, we must encourage young girls scanty fitness clothes exposing those body parts and women to become educated consumers who will equated with feminine sexuality, such as thighs, have the power to resist biased media images and abdominals, cleavage, and buttocks. Such images incite change at the local and national levels.” divert attention from women’s achievements as serious athletes and reinforce misguided assumptions The participation of girls in sport at all-girls’ schools that women in sport are non competitive and is, I believe, exemplary. An environment relatively interested only in sex-appropriate sport.” free of gender stereotypes and one that celebrates achievement encourages their engagement. One of Schell’s research is American-based but similar our challenges would seem to be to teach them to be research by the Australian Sports Commission that is ‘educated consumers’ and continue their engagement carried out every four years to gauge any in sports beyond their schooldays. improvements in media coverage shows little difference for Australian women. in Alliance 2007 An illusory image: A report on the media coverage and portrayal of women’s sport in Australia 1996 Editorial Deadlines shows that, although Australia’s “sportswomen are Beth Blackwood VOLUME 37 playing harder, faster and more professionally than Friday 6 April 2007 ever, and have a proven international record, they still struggle for consistent, long-term coverage.” Career Education Lea Ann Schell, (Dis)Empowering Images? Media Representations There was some good news, with newspaper of Women in Sport, www.womensportsfoundation.org VOLUME 38 reportage of women’s sport doubling since the 1992 Australian Sports Commission - Women and Sport, Media Coverage Friday 27 July 2007 report and recording just over a 500% increase from of Women in Sport www.ausport.gov.au/women/fsmedia.asp Women in Public Life VOLUME 39 27 November 2006 Annual Conference 2007 presentation proposals due (see back page) Friday 19 October 2007 Global Education 17 - 21 January 2007 Student Leadership Conference 2007, Penrhos College, Perth, WA, Australia The Editor would be grateful for any articles or photographs for forthcoming editions. Please 15 - 17 June 2007 Annual Alliance Conference, Lauriston Girls’ School, Armadale, Victoria, Australia forward these to Jan Butler at [email protected] 26 - 29 June 2007 2007 NCGS Annual Conference, Roland Park Country School, Baltimore, Maryland, USA FOR YOUR DIARY FOR YOUR DIARY 2 From the Editor... Jan Butler One of the greatest challenges highlighted in the media today is the huge rise of AUSTRALIA SOUTH AFRICA obesity in the general population and in Womensport - Information about women and Women and Sport South Africa (WASSA) - children in particular. It is well known and sport from all states in Australia. Their under the auspices of Sport and Recreation documented that exercise, along with a mission is: “Developing and supporting the South Africa. healthy diet, is an important factor in aims of women in all aspects of sport and www.srsa.gov.za keeping fit and reducing obesity. Various recreation.” www.womensport.com.au studies have shown that girls, while keen Australian Sports Commission - Australian SOUTH AUSTRALIA to engage in sporting activities at primary National Sport Information The Office for Recreation and Sport school, tend to lose interest and are www.ausport.gov.au/nsic/webarch.asp encourages the involvement of women in all participating in sport at secondary school aspects of physical activity, recreation and at a much lower rate than previously and AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL sport and is pleased to promote initiatives in to a lesser extent than boys. It is important this area. that this trend is changed for not only TERRITORY www.recsport.sa.gov.au/training- fitness reasons but for social reasons as www.sport.act.gov.au development/womens-girls.html well. CANADA A fact sheet from NSW Sport and TASMANIA Canadian Association for the Advancement of Recreation (www.dsr.nsw.gov.au) states Women and Sport and Physical Activity Sport and Recreation Tasmania that: www.caaws.ca www.development.tas.gov.au/sportrec “Those who participate in sport, recreation UNITED KINGDOM and physical activity are generally NEW SOUTH WALES healthier, more confident and feel better Womensport NSW. One of their programs is Women’s Sports Foundation than those who don’t. Current research Schoolgirls’ Breakfasts with the Stars. The www.wsf.org.uk indicates that 30 minutes of moderate aim of the breakfasts is to utilise positive National Action Plan for Women and Girls in physical activity (such as walking) done sporting role models to inspire and motivate Sport and Physical Activity most days of the week is the minimum high school girls to continue their www.wsf.org.uk/docs/WSF-Goodpractice.doc required to maintain good health.” involvement in sport and physical activity. UNITED STATES According to the fact sheet some of the www.womensportnsw.com.au advantages of playing sport are to: National Association for Girls and Women in NEW ZEALAND Sport - The leading organisation for equity • socialise and have fun Sport & Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) issues in sports - champions equal funding, • learn new skills Dedicated to getting New Zealanders moving. quality, and respect for girls’ and women’s • keep slim and fit That means everything from supporting elite sports. www.aahperd.org/nagws • feel good and relieve stress athletes to getting out into local communities and encouraging people to get active. • belong to a team www.sparc.org.nz VICTORIA Girls’ schools have a strong focus on full Girls’ Sport Victoria (GSV) was established in participation in sporting activities for their QUEENSLAND 2001 and is one of the largest independent students. This is highlighted in articles Womensport Queensland aims to improve school sporting associations in Victoria, with from our South African and Singapore opportunities for women and girls in sport. 24 member schools. GSV recognises the member schools. There are also many This could mean assisting girls and women to importance of school sport in developing organisations working to encourage girls participate and get active or play at the elite positive attitudes towards women’s health and to continue to play sport. We feature level or coach or officiate or be a a lifelong involvement in physical activity articles from Girls’ Sport Victoria, representative on a board or do all of these and sport. Womensport Queensland and Womensport activities. The website provides updates on www.gsv.vic.edu.au West. statistics, research and any other information available that is of interest to women and girls WESTERN AUSTRALIA See the box on this page for web links of in sport. Womensport West is a not for profit organisations supporting girls and women www.womensportqld.com.au organisation dedicated to increasing in sport in your state, territory and opportunities for women and girls of all ages country.