Call for more media coverage of women's sport in Wales
- Published
Clockwise from top left: Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Jazz Carlin, Frankie Jones, Olivia Breen, Nicole Cooke and Jess Fishlock
Concerns have been raised about a lack of coverage of women's sport in the Welsh media.
Paralympic great Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, swimmer Jazz Carlin and footballer Jess Fishlock are among sportswomen who wrote to broadcasters.
They called for a "rebalancing" of coverage.
BBC Wales said it had a "proud record of covering a broad range of sports and continues to focus on ways of better serving its audiences".
'Deeply concerning'
The open letter was signed by 20 sportswomen and leading figures in Welsh sport to mark International Women's Day, including Laura McAllister, the chair of Sport Wales, external - the body responsible for developing sport.
They said it was "deeply concerning" that women's sport accounted for just 7% of the sport in newspapers and on TV, radio and online in the UK.
Former rugby player and weightlifter Non Evans, one of those who signed the letter, said, in particular, she was disappointed that BBC Wales had recently decommissioned its Sport Wales programme.
"There's no other programme in Wales - in English - on the BBC that shows women's sport," she told BBC Radio Wales' Good Morning Wales.
She added coverage of women's sport was "improving in England and on Sky... but Wales, I think, is behind the other nations."
BBC Wales said: "This year we will be covering landmark events including the World Half Marathon and the Rio Olympics and Paralympics."
What is International Women's Day?
International Women's Day, external has been held on 8 March every year since 1913, and has been recognised by the United Nations since 1975.
The UN says it's a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.
The theme of this year's day is "Planet 50-50 by 2030" - aiming to achieve global equality in areas such as education and end all forms of discrimination.
Read more on International Women's Day
- Published8 March 2016
