Gender equality is not only a moral imperative but also a key to unlocking the full potential of sport. However, gender stereotypes continue to shape the sports landscape. Women still face many barriers to accessing and succeeding in sports, including internalized sexism, lack of representation and sponsorship opportunities, and discrimination from fellow athletes.
Gender inequality in sports stems from social norms that place a higher value on masculinity and male dominance, which is manifested through misogyny, sexism, and sexual harassment in sport. Those perceptions impact both the sex of a player and how their performance is perceived. For example, a study on the coed sport quidditch found that it shifted the norm of male-dominated sport by encouraging spectators to look at female players for their athleticism rather than their appearance.
Furthermore, the gender gap in sports is influenced by the allocation of funding and resources. Sport funding policies often favour men’s sports over women’s, based on the assumption that male athletes bring in more revenue. This exacerbates the existing inequality.
To make progress towards gender equality, both men and women need to work together. This is especially true when it comes to stamping out misogyny in sport, as it will take male allies who understand that tackling gender inequality means challenging and changing their biases, actions and behaviours. This can be done through education, awareness and targeted information. This can also be accomplished by implementing gender equity in governance models, as a recent study on European sports organizations found that having a high percentage of women in leadership positions positively impacts the performance of the organization.