Tracey Holmes was Australia’s first female host of a national sports program. She's also host of ‘The Sports Ambassador’ podcast and a Professorial Fellow in Sport at the University of Canberra. A...
Sport and violence against women: being quiet isn’t enough
Sport has a role to play in creating a culture of respect, yet women in sport are often seen as “less than” on almost every measure: salaries, sponsorship, broadcasting, leadership, access, media,...
Waltzing Matildas: How is Australia Faring on Gender Equality?
The following is a shortened, lightly edited excerpt of a speech given by Australian politician, diplomat, gender equality advocate and author Natasha Stott Despoja AO, at the National Foundation...
How the gendered body is constructed in physical education
The following article is a condensed version of a book chapter of mine that was published in June 2023. This is part of a book entitled Gender, feminist and queer studies: Power, privilege and...
The Matildas’ 2023 Legacy: A Line in the Sand
After the Matildas’ heart-stopping quarter final win over France, the French coach, Herve Renard, congratulated his players, “for playing so well against an entire nation.” The Matildas at the FIFA...
Female umpires encountering a culture of abuse, misogyny
“I wouldn’t know any woman who’s been in umpiring who hasn’t experienced something negative,” says Carly*, a former AFL umpire. She’s commenting on a recent study, conducted by former umpire...
Aussie girls smash skateboarding championships in the US
Two Australian girls, Chloe Covell (aged 13) and Arisa Trew (also 13) have just won gold in the Street and Park divisions at the latest X-Games competitions in California. The X-Games is, to...
Inspired activism drives brilliant new Aussie movie
Were you lucky enough to see the play of The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race as it has toured Australia over the last few years? Written by former Canberra resident Melanie Tait, it’s a heart-warming,...
How sports became a battleground
There has been a sharp increase in public resistance and backlash to the advancement of LGBTIQ+ inclusion and equality recently. The UK charity Stonewall reports that LGBTIQ+ recorded hate crimes in...