The benefits of sports go far beyond physical well-being. Improvements in social, mental, and economic outlooks as a result of sports participation have been tracked across all demographic breakdowns, particularly children. Unfortunately, barriers generated by fundamental inequalities continue to impact global athletic participation, including that of women and girls. Considering the multilayered potential that playing holds, it is imperative to deconstruct current obstacles to make the future of sports more accessible for all.
A recent study published in Communication and Sport, found that 95% of total television coverage shows that SportsCenter focused on men’s sports in 2019; within the ESPN coverage of NCAA teams that year, 27 of 29 main coverage stories highlighted men’s teams. This equated to over two hours of coverage for men compared to just under four minutes of coverage for women. In addition to this, the same 2019 study showed that, of the televised sports news programs studied, 80% of the news program’s highlights included zero stories on women’s sports.
This lack of media exposure has far spanning implications on women and girls. Currently, girls are 1.5 times more likely to drop out of sports by age 14 than boys, and by the age of 17, quit playing altogether. When girls are asked why they drop out of sports, 46% responded saying they didn’t see themselves having a future in sports, and an additional 32% thought they were not good enough. Could this be a result of the concerning lack of role models and representation in the media to look up to, for reasons to continue in sports?
Another factor of gender inequality in sports is the pay inequity. A justification often given for the underrepresentation of women’s sports is that media executives are more likely to prioritize coverage they believe will make them money in their primetime slots, and women’s sports aren’t believed to have the audience to support their desired profit. However, the lack of audience is in large part due to their lack of coverage, thus creating a never ending cycle. Furthermore, the lack of media coverage contributes to the gender wage gap. Due to less overall screen time, women obtain less corporate sponsorships resulting in, on average, men making five times more than women despite playing at the same level. For instance, the average male U.S. NBA player earns $5.3 million a year, whereas WNBA players earn an average of $130,000. Another example of financial discrepancies can be found in professional soccer. In 2014, the U.S. Men’s National Team collected nine million dollars for finishing 11th and the winning team took home 35 million dollars in the World Cup. In comparison, the U.S. Women’s National Team only received two million dollars for winning the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Moreover, women on the U.S. National Team earn 38 cents for every dollar the men make in spite of their greater successes. This is a major driver for female soccer players playing and retiring younger: they simply can’t afford longer careers.
Yet another barrier brought about by budget is the inappropriate training facilities and player guidelines. For instance, in March 2021, photos surfaced from the Indianapolis NCAA tournament which showcased the disparities between the men’s and women’s weight rooms. The men’s weight room included a number of power racks with Olympic bars and weights. But the women’s room? They received mere dumbbells and yoga mats. On the front of game attire, a Norwegian women’s beach handball team was fined 1,500 Euros by the European Handball Association’s Disciplinary Commission for ‘improper clothing’ when wearing shorts rather than bikini bottoms. The regulations on the women’s uniforms are very strict; players must wear midriff-baring tops and bikini bottoms “with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg” with the side width “a maximum of 10 centimeters” according to International Handball Federation regulations. Male teams, however, are allowed to wear tank tops and shorts, not longer than 10 centimeters above the knee. Both of these cases illustrate how preparatory and game-day conditions hinder women’s progression and self-image in sports.
The aforementioned factors discouraging women and girls to participate in sports have far reaching negative consequences. Sports have a large impact on confidence levels, communication skills, self-image, teamwork, and goal setting, all of which improve with the number of years girls continue to stay active. Interestingly, in a study by EY, they found that 96% of all female C-suite executives participated in sports as teenagers. What is more, women athletes earn seven percent more than those who have not pursued sports. Therefore, both women’s leadership and earning potential are impacted by their participation in sports.
Due to the comparative lack of female sports participation, women are missing out on numerous benefits which spill over in their personal and professional lives. In order to improve well-being in women and girls and facilitate full gender equality the issues outlined above must be addressed. This includes drastically increasing media coverage of female athletes, continuing pushes towards equal payouts in all related areas, and overall efforts to promote women and girls participation in sports from a young age.
Although finding solutions to these problems may seem like a daunting task, there are many plausible steps that can be taken to improve the situation. For instance, to improve women athletes recognition and improve pay inequity, cross over promotional opportunities with men’s sports are a great way to display women athletes while maintaining the same viewership. It is also important to look further into the statistics of women sport audiences to analyze and take action in regards to economic opportunities. According to a recent study, women’s sports fans are 25% more likely to buy sponsor products than men. Therefore, women’s sports fans are more valuable on a per viewer basis and would need smaller audiences to achieve similar results for advertisers. These solutions all help to encourage further female participation in sports, however in order to target and improve the overall participation levels of women and girls in sports, there are steps on the system-wide, community-wide, and individual levels that can be taken. Some of which include, creating incentives for long-term sponsorships, endorsements and funding of female sport, implement equitable rules for female and male sports in regards to aspects such as prize money, duration, and distances, and encourage girls to play, coach, and officiate sports from youth into teen and adult life. In conclusion, women’s sports are of high importance and their participation is key to promoting success in all areas of life.
Edited by: Katherine Lake
Hi I’m Jenna Hicks. I am a third year student studying International Development with a minor in Political Science at McGill University. I have a strong interest in human rights issues as well as feminst related topics and I look forward to being able to share these interests with the Catalyst audience.