Gender equality has been a challenge throughout history, and sports are no exception. The perceptions of dominance, physical strength and power typically associated with men manifest themselves in violence against women, exploitation, exclusion and discrimination against them. This narrative needs to be changed and a gender-inclusive sports world is crucial for the empowerment of girls and women.
To ensure that females have a fair shot at competing in masculine sports, a number of measures need to be taken. First and foremost, women’s teams need financial support – they rarely receive the same level of financing as men’s teams. This can be achieved by making sport governance gender-inclusive, which has been shown to lead to more equitable policies and practices.
Moreover, it is necessary to promote the benefits of participation in sport for women and to educate young girls on the importance of gender equality in sports. This can be done by highlighting the achievements of female athletes and emphasizing the benefits of sport for women’s mental and physical health. Additionally, a gender-inclusive approach in sports education should be implemented to increase the number of young girls who participate in sports and achieve higher academic results in school.
Finally, a more balanced media coverage, non-sexist language and improved mechanisms to report harassment, abuse or discrimination in sports must be introduced. These measures will help to reduce the stigma attached to sport for women and encourage more women to take up sports.