Growing up in Australia
Sport was ubiquitous 
Sport on television, in the news, in the papers, school sport, weekend sport 
Women's teams weren't prominent
Or even there at all
Men in sport was just 
Sport 

But we had plenty of prominent women
Athletes like Cathy Freeman
Johanna Griggs
Liz Ellis
Louise Sauvage
Nova Peris
Susie Maroney
Susie O’Neal
Zali Steggall
Were in the public eye
As positive role models of their sport
And nation

The Sydney 2000 Olympics torch relay
Blazed into the stadium and
Celebrated a century of women’s participation in the Olympics
Dawn Fraser, Susie Maroney, Betty Cuthbert, Raelene Boyle, Shirley Strickland and
Cathy Freeman
Between them, the winners of 15 gold medals,
Household names admired and loved.
To have women literally carrying the torch
As the pinnacle of the relay
Said to sixteen year old me
Women in sport are important
Women in sport matter

But I have come to realise
That while I would like this to be true
At the present moment in time
Women in sport, for the most part,
Are second class citizens 
Still viewed as inferior
Not worth funding, promotion, or care

It wasn’t until 2012
That every participating country
Had at least one female athlete present
At the Olympic Games
That was last year. Not last century.
And even then,
The Australian women’s basketball team,
Winners of three silver medals over three Olympic Games,
Flew Economy Class to London
While their male counterparts,
Winners of zero medals over three Olympic Games,
Flew Business.
They weren't alone. The same treatment was accorded to the 
Japanese women's soccer team. 
Women around the world still require permission to participate 
As athletes 
The Super Bowl, World Cup, Grand Prix, Tour de France
All bar women from participating in the main sporting event
As competitors

Today, in the 21st century
Women’s sports are rarely written about
And when they are
The players are referred to as
"The Girls"
The coverage shows women uncovered 
Because “sporty women”
Can still be “sexy women”
Look at your television
Look at your newspaper
How many women’s sports teams
Are represented?
The statistics are abysmal

ESPN has launched a dedicated women's channel 
And held a summit 
A UK group have launched a new magazine
The UN wrote a report 
Grassroots movements are popping up all over the place
Despite fierce resistance 
The fact that we need to “raise the profile” of women in sport
In 2013
Underlines the problem 

I would love to see a day
When dedicated women's channels
And magazines
Are no longer required
When "sport" is not synonymous with “male” and
Instead means people, of any gender
Being active and competitive
At all levels
From backyard games to professional televised world events

Women and girls play sport
Let’s celebrate their success
In equal measure to the way we celebrate the men's
Let women participate at the top level
In any sport of their choosing 
And as participants or spectators 
Let us rejoice in the human ability
To move and play and compete
Across the world

The end.