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@mfwitches

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The other night I went to watch the #AUSvENG match at a venue with a big screen. There were men watching the Boomers who got upset when the TV was switched to the #Matildas afterwards. They sneered “women are taking over the fucken joint” as they finished their beers and stormed out. There was also a large group of 30-something men. They were there to watch the Matildas but were, in fact, only there to hang shit on women. They ridiculed players’ skills and strength, rated the women on attractiveness (yelling “8”, “4” and so on as each had the ball), and yelled comments about legs and bums and how “sexy” the flying ponytails were. I fled home during the half-time break. Of course, most Aussie men embraced this event. And we know we women are experiencing something for the first time: men and boys choosing women as sporting heroes. It’s amazing in a country dominated by male sport, and while no-one should thank men just for behaving like humans, we’re grateful for this shift. But my own experience also shows there’s a lot of ground to cover before sport has real equality in this (let’s face it) still deeply sexist country. It will take funding and government action and a huge effort from many other orgs too, many of which remain controlled by misogynist men. It will take sponsor attention, and male-controlled corporations choosing to adequately fund the sport played and watched by half their customers. And it will take us, too: wearing the merch and going to less-exalted games and following the careers of sportswomen. But most importantly, we have to force the media to focus on women’s games with the same enthusiasm they’ve always reserved for men. For this World Cup event, the media were slow to get on board. Most attention didn’t occur until after the event began, because only 5% of media sports attention and funding here goes towards women. In the end, the only reason they DID jump in is because consumers forced them to. Shame on them. This World Cup can be a temporary moment in time, or a seismic shift which will benefit all girls (and boys) who badly need many more female role models. It’s up to all of us. Let’s go. #TilitsDone  #ToYourBrooms