Billie Jean:Girls are taught to be perfect e boys to be brave..Not right for either'

Tennis legend Billie Jean King says although the sporting world has made a lot of effort in helping raise the earnings of women since the time she helped launch the WTA Tour in the 1970s, she still wants more because she is a perfectionist.

Speaking as the keynote speaker at the Change Our Game International Women’s Day Lunch in Melbourne earlier this week, King commented, "My dream for women was 3-fold: 1. That EVERY woman had the opportunity to play, 2. to be appreciated for her accomplishments not her looks and 3. to be able to make a living. I always hope for more, because I’m a perfectionist. I certainly want more than we have. But gosh, there’s been a real surge in the last two years. We are just starting to see change happening now.”

At the event, king also acknowledged the contribution of Australian players Judy Dalton and Kerry Melville Reid, members of the “Original 9” group of women, who helped establish the WTA Tour. “Every Australian tennis player should kiss their feet every day they see them,. Without them, they would not be getting the big cheques standing there at the Australian Open.”

King has been a major advocate not only for gender equality but also a major advocate for people of all color, background, and sexual orientation. She recalled playing tennis as a teenager and thought to herself. “Everyone is white. Where is everyone else? Everyone deserves an opportunity, girls are taught to be perfect and boys are taught to be brave (which is) not right for either gender”.

At the Global Victoria Women’s Summit (GVw 2020), hosted by the Victorian Government, Tennis Australia chair Jayne Hrdlicka commented, "You need people who you can lean on when things don’t go right the way they should. And when someone who means well but does wrong needs to be pulled up on. If you find yourself in an environment where you’re not with people who share your values and you’re not with people who will back you up, then you have to have the courage to leave.”

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2TxJGcN