Gender Equality in Sports

The benefits of sport for women and girls are huge, yet gender stereotypes still dominate. As such, any gender equality in sports will only be achieved by tackling explicit cases of discrimination and harassment as well as the underlying barriers that hinder female participation.

Although the #MeToo movement and a number of other feminist campaigns have helped bring some attention to the issue, this is far from a complete picture. Across the globe, girls and women are still under-represented in all levels of sport, not to mention that they experience sexism on a regular basis.

Whether in schools, universities or the workplace, women face a series of structural and socio-cultural challenges that prevent them from participating in the sports they love and advancing their careers. In the world of sports, these barriers are often reinforced by gender stereotypes and perceptions of men as superior athletes. The assumption that men are more physically strong and faster than women can lead to the exclusion of women from sports, the exploitation of athletes and the non-inclusive culture of many sports clubs and teams.

In recent years, however, some progress has been made. The gap between men’s and women’s salaries in football has narrowed, for example, while FIFA has implemented maternity protocols to support the career paths of female players. In addition, the 2020 T20 Women’s Cricket World Cup was watched by more than a billion viewers and the 2023 Women’s World Cup football championship by 365 million.