Historically, women have faced inequities in their professional fields, households and sport, but this has been slowly changing. Today, more women are taking on leadership roles in sports, leading to better policies and increased investments and addressing the challenges, from narrowing the pay gap to preventing abuse and violence.
However, barriers and bias persist. Despite the progress, men still dominate at the top level of sports, with only three out of 31 International Sports Federations having women in leadership positions. And, despite the efforts of female champions, there is still an assumption that men are better at sports than women, which discourages girls and women from participating in sport.
The current state of gender equality in sports can be attributed to the intersection of cultural and political barriers. For example, the allocation of resources and political support for women’s sport is often heavily influenced by traditional views that favour ‘men’s sports’ on the basis that they attract more spectators and revenue. This has been exacerbated by the fact that many women remain under-represented in decision-making structures, perpetuating male-dominated power dynamics.
To address these issues, policymakers and sport organisations need to take a holistic approach, including structural, social and cultural approaches. Increased funding for women’s sport, improved access to training facilities and a more balanced media coverage of women’s sports could help to reduce inequalities and encourage more girls and women to participate in sport. A user-friendly, secure and anonymous whistleblowing platform that is dedicated to collecting discrimination and harassment complaints can also be an effective strategy.