Win a swimming race only to be told you look great in a swim suit. Sexism in sports media coverage is an important issue and one which UNESCO has chosen to critique this World Radio Day.

The organisation has released five radio spots, which highlight the unfair way in which the accomplishments of female athletes are often reported in the media; that their looks, clothes and personal lives seem to take precedence over their skill.

In two moving ‘My Diary’ spots we hear little girls recount their athletic ambitions, only to be met with sexist comments by reporters.

The ‘1 Sport 2 Stories’ spots contrast the way in which a male and female athlete experience the same sporting event. Just one word is different in each sentence they recount, but in those subtle differences lies the problem.

The release of these UNESCO spots, created by BETC France, coincides with the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games where 43% of the competing athletes are women. Things in the media however don’t reflect this, with only 4% of sports media content dedicated to women’s sport and only 12% of sports news presented by women according to UNESCO.

The spots – created in both French and English – are available online and are free to use for broadcast by radio channels all over the world.

Credits
Agency: BETC France
Creative Director: David Martin Angelus
Art Director: Romain Ducos
Copywriter: Chrystel Jung