Carla Donson: Unfair and unequal pressure on women in sport

Silver Fern captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio has chosen to put her own mental health above the demands of her sport. Photo / Getty Images

OPINION

In the midst of the ever-unfolding pandemic, world sport has been thrust centre stage as the delayed Olympic Games in Tokyo prepare for launch next month under the continued Covid-cloud.

Much has been said in the news headlines this last week about the inclusion of Laurel Hubbard in our international weightlifting team. On the surface of things this wouldn't appear to be anything unusual. Of course, with the celebration of her selection comes the understanding that Hubbard is the first openly transgender athlete to compete at the Olympic Games.

This has caused consternation for some who feel this creates an unfair bias for Hubbard in competing against other women athletes, whilst others celebrate this as a landmark for inclusion. On an even bigger scale, it is but one of the many challenges facing women's sport in a world where gender equity remains unresolved.

Significantly, there has also been much debate about the performance-related pressures that come with being an athlete at the top of the game. The increasing demands of the media through sponsorship deals and player contracts to be present at press conferences, to front up to defeats on and off the court, and to meet the needs of social media platforms has resulted in some resounding exits centre stage.

The recent departures of world tennis champion Naomi Osaka, and our own world-beating Silver Fern netball captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio, from competitive sport highlight the ways in which this relentless scrutiny can impact upon personal lives and mental wellbeing.

Much of the public response to this has been through a male gaze, a lens through which women's sport has been viewed rather differently to that of its male counterparts. Mental health champions like former All Black Sir John Kirwan have worked hard to change the discourse.

However, shifting the gender balance in a more positive direction requires many more champions, in and outside of sport.

Women athletes still face an uphill battle when it comes to discrimination and harassment, pay, public pressures to conform to feminine ideals, governance representation, sports uniforms, and visibility. Media partners play an important role here.

Sports media has traditionally been viewed as an unsafe space for women. Indeed, in the last month our very own Sky Sport has been placed under investigation after it faced allegations of inappropriate behaviour, serious sexual harassment, bullying and a general culture of sexism. Interestingly, in the final show for Radio Sport in 2020, the male presenters spent more time talking about pigeon racing than they did about women in sport.

According to Sport New Zealand, coverage of women in sport makes up approximately 15 per cent of all sports coverage. That's a slight improvement from 10 years ago when it was just 11 per cent. While this number is world leading, it is still poor considering just over half of our population are women. Research released on International Women's Day found men's rugby gets more coverage than all of women's sport combined. So, it is fair to say that we still have a lot of work to do, and not just in relation to sport.

I am fortunate that I can utilise this space in our local media to champion women and gender equity. I can also do this without the risk of censorship, although I do of course face public scrutiny of my own.

I've had more than my fair share of internet as well as real life "trolls", some of whom have bordered beyond personal harassment. There have been times when I have dialled back what I have really wanted to say for fear of entering a feedback loop that has no positive return.

Whilst some might say that we need thicker skins, and that everyone has a right to speak freely and to have their own views, I sometimes feel like we are on a slippery slope to nowhere constructive. It's easy for public offenders to dismiss the rise of cancel culture as the silencer of free speech.

Keyboard warriors say things that I am pretty sure they wouldn't say in person if given the opportunity to. Social media pages and platforms enable people to spread misinformation at light speed. I determined long ago that I would utilise this space to champion for good, despite the consequences of doing so.

The upcoming Winter Wonderfest began six years ago as a way to liven up the winter months, enabling women to share their skills and to connect with and inspire others. It's where you'll see a bunch of incredible local women showcasing what they do best for the good of our community in the last two weeks of July. This is but one small step in the race toward gender equity, a race that might not be soon won, but it will be one heck of a ride if we all choose to stay the course.