Because here we are, in 2013, discussing whether women's sport is as deserving of funding and media coverage as men's sport.
It is, frankly, ridiculous that in the 21st century we are even having this debate. For anyone to claim that female athletes are less worthy of funding or press coverage smacks of misogyny and chauvinism. Women in sport are every bit as worthy, if not, in some cases, even more worthy, of recognition than men. Racism and sectarianism are no longer tolerated within sport, so why should sexism be?
Football is frequently cited when highlighting the disparity between the men's and women's games. To argue that the £1.2 million the SFA spend annually on women's football is too much is ignorant, particularly when you consider it is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. This amount is peanuts compared to the money that flows through the men's game yet the women are ranked 23 in the world compared to the men's 64. It doesn't take a genius to work out who is delivering a better return on investment.
I am not advocating giving female athletes undeserved preferential treatment. Male athletes such as Andy Murray, Sir Chris Hoy and Ricky Burns deserve all the coverage they get. But there are many female Scottish athletes who are at the pinnacle of their sport and it would be heartening to see their success more readily recognised by the Scottish press, and the tabloid newspapers in particular.
London 2012 was the best advert for women's sport with the interest generated by such stars as Jessica Ennis, Katherine Grainger and Laura Trott, illustrating that there is a great appetite out there. And the benefits of having prominent female role models are obvious. Young girls will find it infinitely easier to identify with someone such as Ennis than with her male counterparts.
Female role models are not only important for the part they play in inspiring a future generation of Olympic champions. They are also vital in encouraging young girls to become more active. This is arguably their most valuable contribution. Just one in 10 girls aged 14 participate regularly in physical activity which is a shocking statistic.
If more girls could be encouraged to take part, the benefits would be substantial. Our country is notorious for its poor health record due, in no small part, to the lack of activity amongst our children. More prominent female role models can only be a positive step in at least partially rectifying this problem.
The argument that Scottish sportswomen fail to achieve as much as their male counterparts is a fallacy. There were five Scottish track and field athletes in Team GB at the London Olympics and all were female. Four badminton players qualified for the Games last summer, two men and two women. Both women, including myself, were Scottish. Add to that European gold medal swimmer Hannah Miley, modern pentathlon world champion Mhairi Spence, GB women's volleyball captain Lynne Beattie, and the list goes on.
Take Grainger, for example. Her Olympic gold medal was many people's highlight of London 2012, after her three silver medals at the previous three Games. Grainger is also studying for a PhD in homicide at a London law school and when you add her modesty and personable demeanour, there can't be a parent in the land who would not want their child exposed to role models of her calibre.
My prevailing emotion when I am asked to defend women's sport is not anger, but sadness. It is sad this debate still rears its ugly head, although hearteningly, it happens much less frequently these days. More and more people appreciate and enjoy women's sport and acknowledge the benefits it can bring. There's still some way to go until everyone is converted, but we're getting there.
