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🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

Social media group calls for change while exposing inequality in sport

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The Instagram account 'Not All Clubs' exposes inequality in sports by sharing user-submitted stories of discrimination and neglect.
  • Co-founder Ripley highlights issues like inadequate facilities, lack of sponsorship, and abusive coaching, emphasizing systemic problems over individual incidents.
  • The group also organizes initiatives like 'Wear Red' to raise awareness about gender-based violence in sports.

An Instagram account named 'Not All Clubs' is actively exposing deep-seated inequality within the sports world by amplifying the voices of individuals who have experienced discrimination and neglect. Co-founder Ripley described the account's direct messages as an "absolute dumpster fire," filled with stories ranging from sexist remarks to systemic disadvantages faced by female athletes.

Honestly, our DMs are an absolute dumpster fire.

— RipleyDescribing the volume and nature of messages received by the 'Not All Clubs' Instagram account.

Ripley, who played state-level AFL, aims to create a supportive space where athletes know they are not alone in their struggles. "We want to be a space where we amplify the voices so people know that they aren't by themselves, they're not experiencing this on their own and that together we can hopefully implement a lot of change," she told ABC Radio Perth.

We want to be a space where we amplify the voices so people know that they aren't by themselves, they're not experiencing this on their own and that together we can hopefully implement a lot of change.

— RipleyExplaining the mission of the 'Not All Clubs' platform.

The group highlights issues such as women and girls lacking adequate facilities and sponsorship, and instances where sporting events are scheduled inconveniently, clashing with other commitments. They also address cases of abusive, sexist, and racist coaches, noting that complaints are often dismissed as "not really a big deal."

We've had people message us and say their football pre-season training was meant to take place in some cricket nets.

— RipleyIllustrating the inadequate facilities faced by some sports teams.

To protect individuals and avoid defamation, the founders use pseudonyms and keep their sources anonymous, focusing on systemic issues rather than naming specific clubs. 'Not All Clubs' also spearheads initiatives like the 'Wear Red' round, dedicated to raising awareness of gender-based violence in sports by encouraging participants to wear red armbands during games.

We have people messaging us saying that they have coaches that are abusive, that are sexist, that are overtly racist and when they bring this attention to those clubs, they're basically met 'what you're complaining about is not really a big deal,'

— RipleyDetailing instances of problematic coaching and the lack of response from clubs.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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