Chapter 7: Strategic Action in Women’s Sport

Justice, democracy and the relationship between them has a long and continual history of exploration amongst philosophers and economists. Sen (2010) in his contribution to the debate, argues that advancing public reasoning is key to reducing injustices, and the role of a free and independent media is crucial to this transformation. In our global and local communities, Sen suggests there are four distinct contributions of media; direct contribution (we want to understand the world we live in), dissemination of information, protective function (giving voice to the disadvantaged and neglected) and formation of values. It is in the process of forming values that the media has arguably become complicit in perpetuating gender injustices. These injustices have been embedded into all aspects of society, and are readily identifiable as stereotypes and narratives such as women should be educated, have children, jobs, care for the family and be heterosexual, while simultaneously remaining invisible in the power structures of representation and governing.