Gender Equality is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This should be a strong signal that investing in addressing the gap faced by women in sport is A, if not THE, good thing to do.
In fact, as a society we must promote women in sport, as this is an important step towards achieving SDG 5 on gender equality. Sport can be a strong ally in the fight against inequality and discrimination, in promoting the creation of safe and inclusive spaces, and in the improvement of confidence and leadership for women.
While progress is not linear and not often quick, we recognise that things are moving.
Women are least represented in all areas of sport that notwithstanding, women have the same driving forces and input into their sport as men. It is crucial to acknowledge that women from diverse backgrounds, including Black women, migrants, transgender women, women with disabilities, those with diverse sexual orientations, and those from different ethnicities or with low socio-economic-status, face even greater marginalisation within the realm of sports. This has led to a higher level of women dropping out of sport from practice, coaching, administration, leadership and general participation.
In this section, we will help you to:
In this section, we will present and define some essential concepts and key terms. This quick onboarding phase ensures we’re all speaking the same language.
One of the first facts to look at across Europe is the growing trend towards outdoor and less structured physical activity, as demonstrated in the Eurobarometer on Sport and Physical Activity (Special Eurobarometer 525) published on 19 September 2022. This in itself is a message that should make physical activity advocates, club managers and decision-makers take notice in order to address the challenge.
We believe “WOMEN” can be the key in this respect… Simply because the under representation of women in sport is seen in many areas. Everywhere across Europe, by every measure, fewer women than men play sports regularly. For example, women coaches in elite sports commonly report experiencing marginalization and minoritization. They are often excluded from predominantly male networks that provide educational and promotional opportunities, face unequal gender pay, and encounter exclusion from decision-making roles (Norman & Simpson, 2023).
Moreover, in the recent 2023 EWS report by ENGSO, a survey conducted with nearly 500 women across Europe revealed that women with disabilities, older women, transgender women, and migrant women tended to participate less in physical activity or sports. Additionally, approximately 1 out of 5 women faced situations of harassment or discrimination while engaging in sports over the past 12 months (Source: https://engso.eu/womens-participation-in-sport-across-europe-ews-research-2023/)
Let’s test your intuition and knowledge and see if you can drag the words and figures to their appropriate sentences.
Based on extensive research on women's participation in the sports sector conducted by the partnership in 2023, there is a significant difference in the number of federation licences for men's and women's sport. This is true in 90% of sports in most European countries. It is not easy to pinpoint the factors that influence this (financial issues, gender stereotypes, etc.). Yet what is clear is the looming influence and pressure exerted by the patriarchal discourse on gender equality in sports, not to mention the influence of the media. Moreover, while gender inequalities in participation rates are true for all sports, this is particularly true regarding certain sports traditionally associated with men.
Furthermore, if we look at the statistical data on women's participation in federations, whether in decision-making positions in the Olympic sports federations or the NOCs, we see that the percentages are quite low, as well as in the proportion of elite coaches, based on many of the factors mentioned above. With a slight improvement in recent years, the need to continue supporting women's sports to become more equal is still prevalent.
Want to know more? Have a look at the GAP Women Literature Review Report
Based on the findings below and knowing that nearly three-quarters of Europeans agree that local sport clubs and other local providers offer many opportunities to be physically active (Special Eurobarometer 525) it seems clear to us that the key to increasing women participation over the next four-five years will therefore be to adapt and reconnect Europeans women with the opportunities around them to #BeActive.
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