Gender equality in sports has been a long struggle. It has involved simultaneous progress in access to sport, and continuing discrimination and barriers to participation (both structural and cultural). During the last century there has been a dramatic increase in girls’ and women’s participation in sports. This coincided with important changes in gendered meanings and expectations and the emergence of women’s rights movements. But the broader social context has also changed, with the rise of new forms of inequality, such as increasing inequalities in access to income and power.
The current era is marked by a growing awareness of the importance of gender equality in all areas of society, including in sport. This is reflected in increased efforts to include gender equality in sport policy and practice, but there are still significant challenges. These challenges are interlinked and include structural inequalities such as limited funding for women’s sport, bias-free representation in media and inadequate prevention and response mechanisms to gender-based violence. They are also shaped by socio-cultural factors such as norms around gendered roles and responsibilities in society, which influence and are influenced by perceptions of sexism in sport.
Changing these perceptions will be key to achieving gender equality in sport. For example, the more women and girls see role models in sport who are not afraid to challenge stereotypes, prioritise their health and wellbeing over household responsibilities, and take risks on and off the field, the more they will be encouraged to participate in sports.