Women's sport will be the focus of attention in national media and on the playing fields of France this weekend as part of an annual event called "Women's sports always." The country's broadcasting commission on Tuesday presented a schedule that will include live network broadcasts of the women's Six Nations game against England and France's Fed Cup match with Belgium.

In addition, clubs across France are organising women's matches or open days over the weekend. France is hosting the women's football World Cup from June 7 to July 7. On TV, women's competitions peaked at 16-20 percent of sports broadcast time in France in 2016, up from 14 percent in 2014 and seven percent in 2012, according to commission. In 2017, a non-Olympic year, it fell to 14-18.5 percent.

Female participation in organised sport in France has been increasing. Between 2012 and 2017, the percentage of registered competitors who are women rose from 37 percent to 38.3 percent of the total to 471,010, according to figures from the Ministry of Sports. Women, who mostly practise walking, swimming and fitness, remain underrepresented in team sports, making up only 17 percent of those participants in 2017.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019