Women in sport

Answer the following questions, stating where it is a practical, social and cultural, or personal factor.

Lack of time and lack of childcare

practical factors:

• they have less leisure time than men, greater responsibility for housework and care for children or elders

body image

Personal factors:

• Female adolescents have greater body image dissatisfaction than males

• Women are far more self-conscious → vicious cycle → more self-conscious = less likely to do sports, yet participation in sport has a positive effect on girls’ perception of their bodies

Lack of money

Practical factors:

• Financial constraints can limit access to sports facilities, equipment, and participation fees, impacting women's involvement in sports.

• women earn on average £529 lessper month than man

Clothing and equipment

Personal:

• Clothing and equipment can be expensive

• some womens sports clothing is revealing

Personal safety

Personal and social and cultural:

• Safety on the streets, public transport, and in and around sports and the community is a particular problem for some women

• racial behaviours, bullying and abuse especially in male-dominated environments. This can deter women from participating in sports and physical activities.

the male dominated culture of sport

Social and cultural:

• sports have traditionally been defined, organised, promoted and constructed as a male activity

• Girls feel that being sporty feels at odds with being feminine

Lack of self-confidence

personal:

• Women may struggle with self-esteem and confidence compared to men

• links to body image

Lack of transport

practical:

• Limited access to reliable transportation can hinder women's ability to participate in sports and physical activities.

Female invisibility

social and cultural:

• Media representation and lack of role models in sports

• Women, especially those marginalised groups, face double challenges that contribute to their underrepresentation and lack of visibility in sports.

Access to facilities

Practical and social and cultural:

• Availability and quality of sports facilities can affect women's participation, especially in underserved communities, influencing opportunities for training and competition.

Attitudes and prejudices about ethnicity

social and cultural:

• Negative beliefs and stereotypes can create barriers for women of diverse ethnic backgrounds in sports, impacting their participation and support.

Parental and adult influence

Personal:

• the influence of adults affects girls and boys differently.

• adolescent females place great emphasis on self-comparison and comments from adults, whereas adolescent males rely more on competitive outcomes as their basis for personal judgement.

• negative comments from coaches and teachers are a major reason when girls become discouraged from playing sports

Funding

Practical:

• during 2006/2007, 41% of female athletes were funded through various programmes.

• At community levels girls’ teams attract less sponsorship from local businesses as they don’t have large fan base

Attitudes and prejudices about sexuality

social and cultural:

• Homophobia and negative attitudes can create barriers for LGBTQ+ women in sports, affecting their participation and support.

• ‘Homo-negativism’ is a fear among heterosexuals that they may be perceived as homosexual

• Women’s male-dominated sports, such as rugby, are still regarded by some as fundamentally unfeminine → resulted in a conclusion that all sportswomen must be lesbians

Attitudes and prejudices about disability

social and cultural:

• Girls and women with disabilities are less likely to participate in sports

• Physically inaccessible facilities, venues and equipment

• Coaches don’t know how to adapt their teaching to help individuals take part in activates

• Unwelcoming attitudes by other sport participants and staff

• A lack of a role model