"On the Lions tour in 2013, I was even chased into a ladies’ bathroom by a man who was calling out 'Everybody knows you are a naughty girl!' | Writes @KateLouiseRowan
telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/20…
telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/20…
📍Everyday sexism
"I was a young freelance journalist...I was wearing the same accreditation pass as anyone else but rather than being directed to the media centre, I was handed an apron and pointed in the direction of the kitchens of the Twickenham corporate hospitality suites"
"I was a young freelance journalist...I was wearing the same accreditation pass as anyone else but rather than being directed to the media centre, I was handed an apron and pointed in the direction of the kitchens of the Twickenham corporate hospitality suites"
📍Physical abuse
"Later, when I finally got to the press box...one man I had never met before, out of nowhere, gave me a full body check as I walked by him and grabbed my crotch. I was terrified. Not just by this unexpected act but of what people would think if I reported it"
"Later, when I finally got to the press box...one man I had never met before, out of nowhere, gave me a full body check as I walked by him and grabbed my crotch. I was terrified. Not just by this unexpected act but of what people would think if I reported it"
📍 Blame game
"My first thought was to blame myself for wearing tight jeans. Unlike now, when I have the backing of a national newspaper, I felt completely unprotected and felt like I couldn’t tell anyone"
"My first thought was to blame myself for wearing tight jeans. Unlike now, when I have the backing of a national newspaper, I felt completely unprotected and felt like I couldn’t tell anyone"
📍Inequality in sport
"Rugby has great values and some terrific people but there is a dark underbelly that is only ever spoken about in hushed tones. The fact is that, as a woman, I am subjected to treatment that would never be afforded to male colleagues"
"Rugby has great values and some terrific people but there is a dark underbelly that is only ever spoken about in hushed tones. The fact is that, as a woman, I am subjected to treatment that would never be afforded to male colleagues"
Micro-aggressions include:
🏉 Being passed over for interview opportunities in favour of male reporters
🏉 Being spoken down to by press officers or PRs
🏉 Having your knowledge of the sport constantly questioned
🏉 Being passed over for interview opportunities in favour of male reporters
🏉 Being spoken down to by press officers or PRs
🏉 Having your knowledge of the sport constantly questioned
Naked aggressions include:
🏉 Verbal harassment - being subjected to lewd comments, or called “too ugly and fat" to work in the industry
🏉 Verbal harassment - being subjected to lewd comments, or called “too ugly and fat" to work in the industry
Physical aggression:
🏉 "I have been kicked by men working in the rugby media to get out of the way - once so hard it left a bruise. I was kneeling down and the man in question (who has a big job in rugby) booted me and muttered about 'fat arses'"
🏉 "I have been kicked by men working in the rugby media to get out of the way - once so hard it left a bruise. I was kneeling down and the man in question (who has a big job in rugby) booted me and muttered about 'fat arses'"
🏉 "I was last out of the press box and a security guard who checked my pass on numerous occasions over the day, had one final inspection. Because no one was around he also decided to slide his hand over my breast"
📍Job v justice
"I decided to remain silent for the sake of not becoming the story, and for fear of being blacklisted. This, really, is the most chilling aspect of my experiences - that feeling of being controlled"
"I decided to remain silent for the sake of not becoming the story, and for fear of being blacklisted. This, really, is the most chilling aspect of my experiences - that feeling of being controlled"
📍Inherent bias
"I have heard the usual arguments, mostly centering on the premise that women who have never played a men's sport can't cover it. That it is nonsense. Does a war correspondent need to have served in the military?"
"I have heard the usual arguments, mostly centering on the premise that women who have never played a men's sport can't cover it. That it is nonsense. Does a war correspondent need to have served in the military?"
Do you think women are equally able to report on male sport?
📍The future
"We all are entitled to our views and mine is simple: it is 2021 and it should not be radical for a woman covering men’s rugby to want to feel safe"
"We all are entitled to our views and mine is simple: it is 2021 and it should not be radical for a woman covering men’s rugby to want to feel safe"
Are you a woman working in a male-dominated industry?
Tell us about your experience in the comments section below ⬇️
Tell us about your experience in the comments section below ⬇️
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
