WRITING TASK 2

Today, TV channels broadcast men’s sport shows more than women’s sports shows. Why? Should TV channels give equal showtime for women’s sport and men’s sport?

It is undeniable that in terms of sporting events, women’s screen time is far too less than their men’s counterparts. Not only because of the unequal marketing approaches but also the fact that society often idealizes women as caregivers rather than athletes that TV devotes minimum women’s airtime. In my opinion, to promote gender equality, it is crucial for TV to increase the level of women’s sports coverage.

The underlying root is that women are not marketed and promoted as much as men. Since it is long seen that sporting activities symbolize masculinity and that TV only provides what their audiences want to see, sportswomen are unlikely to generate enough interest, which is contrary to the other sex. As a result, they would end up with lower attendees and fewer merchandise sales. Furthermore, the coverage of women is still too often sexist. Instead of mainstreaming how athletic female football players are, for example, they are usually framed as the mothers or the wives- the socially suitable, fundamental roles for women. All those reasons contribute to the marginalization of women’s sports in the media.

Broadcast media, especially TV, should increase women’s screen time, even surpass men’s when it comes to sporting events. First, female athletes are, physically, not as strong as the other sex, so in turn, they must train twice or thrice as hard in the harsh condition of the sporting environment, as well as give up families to prioritize their careers. Secondly, while extremes or spectator sports are most popular among male athletes, women outperform in more technical ones, such as martial arts and aerobics. Indeed, these sports require both physical and mental techniques. Therefore, it is not too optimistic to say that women deserve more screen time.

In sum, TV is progressively discounting women’s sports programs because of the lack of interest in marketers and audiences. Hence, I believe that to promote gender equality, this trend should stop and women should receive an increase in airtime.