Today is Sport for Women day. In the words of the organisers, it celebrates the achievements of our female sporting role models, and encourages increased participation by women in sport.

The level of cynicism I have experienced in discussing this event has been surprising. I had assumed the concept would be accepted as an inoffensive, yet positive step towards empowering women of all ages to enjoy healthy, active lifestyles. Apparently not. The most prominent response (largely male) has been a coin toss between, "Oh sweet! So where does the sports-bra burning happen?" and, "So when is Sport for Men day?"

Flicking on the sports segment of the nightly news, or live TV sport at any time of day, one could easily be forgiven for believing that every day is Sport for Men day. The Australian women's cricket team winning the Ashes scored as much column space as the two-day post-surgery update report on Ricky Ponting's finger.

There is a hefty dose of irony in this. Not all exposure is desirable. The AFL Players' Association has been calling for the media to back off and respect player privacy. Indeed, with celebrity comes the goldfish bowl of public scrutiny that snared even Saint Nick Riewoldt hook, line and sinker.

The goldfish bowl of women's soccer, on the other hand, has privacy in spades and could probably employ talking goldfish and still not get a sniff. In fact, the Matildas got more coverage for complaining about their lack of coverage in winning the Asian Cup than they had got for any victory in the history of women's football.

This is why we have Sport for Women Day - to celebrate the unheard stories of the thousands of successful, inspiring women who are achieving great things in the sporting domain. By sharing these stories, we help to create a culture where women from all walks of life believe they, too, can run, jump, zumba, skip, throw and, above all, dream.

I train with a young woman who returned to rowing after having two children. She juggles work, mothering and training, all with a remarkable demeanour and never-say-die attitude. Last year she won gold in the lightweight double sculls at the Lucerne World Cup. Who knew?

All around me are amazing stories screaming out to be shared. But instead, women in the sporting landscape are reduced to WAGs and victims of footballers behaving badly. The protagonist male is juxtaposed against the passive female.

The women's movement has come a long way, but empowering young girls to make their own decisions and strive for their own dreams is no fait accompli. There is still much work to be done.

By reporting on women's sport (and not just the outfits), we cause a culture shift by reframing the woman as the protagonist. It is in these stories of female achievement and participation that an increasing number of young women are empowered to dream and believe.

It is easy to point the finger at media outlets for coverage imbalance, but I believe there are other factors at play. The media is not a democracy, nor should it be expected to be. Sports that produce a quality product (male or female) receive more coverage. The highly efficient and organised AFL public relations machine leaves no stone unturned in making its games, training sessions, draft camps or Auskick launches media friendly.

Tennis is a great example of a sport that provides a quality product - male and female. Years back, tennis led the way by insisting on equal pay for male and female winners. Now, men and women are afforded more or less equal coverage and prominence.

Indeed, the popularity of women's tennis provides a booming backhand to the argument that women's sport is inherently less appealing because women are genetically weaker. Rather, what we love about sport is the contest. The emotion. The passion. The dreams. The blood, sweat and tears. None of these emotions, and none of this sporting drama, requires a male appendage. Anyone who watched the Commonwealth Games netball final between Australia and New Zealand will agree that a nail-biting contest can be played in skirts.

But then comes the chicken and egg argument. Women's sports are, by and large, under-resourced to compete with the public relations machines of professional sports. Sometimes a hand-up is needed.

In New Zealand, coverage of netball on free-to-air TV has resulted in it skyrocketing to the second most popular sport behind rugby. This was a risk taken by Sky TV that paid dividends.

The biggest part we all can play is by putting our bums on seats and taking an interest in women's sport. If we send a message that we care about women's sport, the encouraging trend towards greater coverage and participation will surely continue.

Let's hope that when today's girls become tomorrow's women, there is simply no need for a Sport for Women Day.

Kimberley Crow is a Sport for Women ambassador

This post originally appeared in the SMH.