This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Promoters of Saturday night’s Battle of Bendigo boxing show featuring Jeff Horn and Michael Zerafa have replaced ring card women with men, after coming under fire from local councillors and women’s advocate groups.

City of Greater Bendigo councillors Yvonne Wrigglesworth and Jennifer Alden were critical of the between-rounds spectacle.

Wrigglesworth said women were being objectified in events like The Battle of Bendigo, while Councillor Alden, a member of the City of Greater Bendigo’s gender equity working group, believes these stereotypes are harmful women.

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“Being respectful of women is key to eliminating other forms of violence, especially violence towards women and children,” Cr Alden told the Bendigo Advertiser.

Event co-promoter Dean Lonergan said he was disappointed with the criticism and had replaced the three women with men.

“To further minimise protests the term ‘ring girl’ will not be used,” he said. “These roles will now be known as ‘fight progress managers’.”

He said the three women would still be paid and their replacements had been found by his co-promoter, Bendigo resident and Australian 1996 Olympic boxing representative Lynden Hosking.

“I am disappointed, but I am also responsive. I will replace the three women who were employed to signal the start of each round with men,” Lonergan said.