Gender equity and the media

THE EDITOR, Madam:

There has been much talk about gender equity in Jamaica. Whereas gender affairs have been elevated to ministerial oversight, we have a lot of ground to make up, especially in the field of sports, to include media coverage. Televised media coverage of sporting events focuses heavily on track and field, football, and cricket. Netball, arguably the country’s number one team sport, has been limited to brief video clips on our nightly television news. It’s no secret that netball has brought perennial glory to the country and it’s a travesty that live televised coverage is almost nil.

I therefore call on the minister with responsibility for gender affairs (and sports), along with ISSA, to use her good offices to bring pressure to bear on TVJ, CVM, and Sports Max with the aim of correcting this glaring wrong. At a minimum, semi-final, final, and key match-ups of high school and senior competitions should be afforded live coverage. For this, our girls, women and all netball enthusiasts would be eternally grateful, and Minister Grange would, yet again, take a bow.

DR RICHARD KITSON-WALTERS

Sandy Bay, Clarendon

k-w@cfl.rr.com