Australian Women’s Sport and Recreation Tasmania
Womensport and Recreation Tasmania Inc. (WSRT) is a dynamic group dedicated to improving opportunities in sport and regular physical activity for women and girls. In Australia, there are only half as many women as men taking part in regular sporting activity. Womensport and Recreation Tasmania Inc. believes it is important to address this imbalance and enable and encourage women to become involved in regular physical activities.
Latest news
Become a member of a Board!
Want to join a dynamic Board dedicated to improving opportunities in regular physical activity for women and girls in Tasmania?
Expressions of interest are currently sought from interested and passionate members of the Tasmanian community for membership of the WomenSport and Recreation Tasmania Board. This voluntary Board represent the interests of women and girls in sport and physical activities, provides mentoring and networking opportunities, independent advice, and training events. The Board also has an important role in facilitating opportunities for women and girls in sport and physical activity. email admin@wsrt.org.au to express your interest by 16 August 2010.
5th International Working Group World Conference
The Federal Minister for Sport Hon Kate Ellis remarks at the opening ceremony of the 5th International Working Group World Conference for Women in Sport. www.kateellis.com.au/speeches/162
AWRA provides a response the the Crawford report
2010 Mothers Day Classic Fun run/walk
The 2010 Mothers Day Classic Fun run/walk is on again this Sunday 9th May at the Domain. All women and their mothers and children are once again invited to join the Cancer Council of Australia and WSRT to celebrate life and to raise awareness and funds for Breast Cancer.
Catalyst Project
The "Catalyst Project" a Media Strategy Training Workshop and Networking function for sport and recreation clubs was held on May 10. 16 participants from multiple sports and the Get Active program attended.
Outing of MP a disgrace, says Kirby
THE former High Court judge Michael Kirby lashed out yesterday at the "disgraceful" way the media had treated Labor MP David Campbell and linked it to the way women's sport also suffered at the hands of a discriminatory, male-dominated media. Mr Kirby, who is gay, was speaking at a conference on women and sport. He said the way Channel Seven had outed Mr Campbell for attending a gay sauna was a "pathetic and disgraceful act". "Really they should be hanging their heads in shame, invading his space, invading his family ... anything to humiliate and destroy. Well, it's not acceptable, and the community is increasingly telling them that it's not acceptable," he said.
He joined the chorus of condemnation over comments by the AFL star Jason Akermanis that homosexuals should stay in the closet because coming out would make their teammates uncoinfortable in the changerooms. Mr Kirby suggested the adulation male sports journalists heaped on elite male athletes was partly responsible for the disgusting behaviour some sportsmen had displayed towards women.
A key discussion point of the fifth conference of the International Working Group on Women and Sport, which ended yesterday, was the poor coverage of women's sport in the media. A report for the Australian Sports Commission, Towards a Level Playing Field, analysed women's sport coverage in Australia and found that in newspapers it had declined from 10.7 per cent in 1996 to 9 percent in 2008. Mr Kirby said sportswomen faced many problems,such as a lack of role models due to poor media coverage,"huge discrimination" in prize money and harassment ranging from teasing to sexual abuse.
"The sort of discrimination and discriminatory attitudes and stereotypical attitudes that you see in women's sports are seen in the attitudes of the
media to sexuality," he said. "The notion that male sporting legends... are often guilty of gross, personal, confronting and sexual behaviour and ... they think they are celebrities and modern princes who can do whatever they want. "This of course is fed to them by male journalists covering male sports and putting it in the male media. Well, that needs to change." Akermanis was "terrified [a gay player] might touch him on the backside or he might playfully touch somebody on the backside and then some frenzy of excitement might occur.
"Well, give us a break. We have to change these silly attitudes. We must finish stereotyping for good. We must say to the Channel Sevens and the Jason Akermanises of this world 'get real'." Mr Kirby was given a standing ovation.
Sydney Morning Herald 24-May-2010
Federal Minister for Sport Kate Ellis
Federal Minister for Sport Kate Ellis comments on womens media coverage in sport. Read more