Barriers To Participation: Gender Flashcards
What are the reasons for lower female participation rates in sport?
Domestic roles
Social stereotyping
Sport traditionally preserve of males
Poor media coverage
Less money & power
Sexism
Inequalities
Statistics show that for most sports & physical activity - participation higher amongst men
Most popular sports for women - walking, swimming, yoga
Very few women take part in competitive sports, e.g. football & golf
What are the solutions to lower female participation rates in sport?
Equal opportunities - organisations like NGB’s must create equal opportunity policies due to Sex Discrimination Act 1975 & Women’s Sport & Fitness Foundation raises awareness of equality for women
Improve school to club links - there’s huge rate of young women dropping out of sport when leaving school, more than men, leading to bad effect on general health. One of government’s main aims is to improve links between schools & clubs
Media coverage - if women’s sport has greater media coverage, it would give women greater chance to see what they could do & give them role models to aspire to be like
More facilities for women - facilities should be made accessible to women offering women only sessions where appropriate. Offering these facilities with built in child care facilities so women can combine their domestic role with exercise
How are women held back from sport by society?
Sport viewed as masculine rather than feminine
Women with muscles = unattractive in appearance & attitude
Sleek & fit beyond reach of normal women
Women’s priorities are at home
Physically inferior & not suited to high level competition
Lower level of performance
Media fuels myths & stereotypes
European tours in golf prize money for women = £10m men = £82m
In national/international Olympic Committees, only 14% are women
What are some issues with sexism in sport?
Successful elite women had sexuality questioned by media
Women’s elite sport less status than male sport
Women battled to participate: 1973 1st female competitors in marathon, 1984 1st women’s marathon in Olympics
Media focuses more on human interest issues in female sport, rather than performance
What is the Barr Sex Test?
Required sample of cells scraped from inside women’s cheek to determine amount of Barr Bodies present - count below minimum % disqualified athlete from Olympics.
Dropped in 1992
What was the Sex Discrimination Act (1975)?
Provides women with equal rights in work place, education, etc. Hasn’t helped sporting progression
Competitive sport excluded by section 44
Separate competitions permitted where “physical strength, stamina or physique puts her at disadvantage to average man”
Private sports clubs can legally operate discriminatory policies under section 29 & 34
How does the media discriminate against women’s sports?
National newspapers - less than 6% of total sports space to women’s’ sport
90% male bias in sports photographs & articles in newspapers, found over 4 week period in 1991 by WSF
Female sport successful at national & international levels but TV rarely covers games until recently
Contribute to & fuel stereotypes
What are the arguments that women have more/the same opportunities to take part in physical activities than men?
Have more leisure time
Greater disposable income
Promoted by media as fashionable
Improvement in levels of provision for some activities
Encouraged to participate for weight loss/fitness
Positive discriminate by local leisure centres to encourage women’s participation
Sport England/WSF have policies promoting sport for under represented groups
What are the arguments that women have less opportunities to take part in physical activities than men?
Lack of equal opportunities
Sexual harassment/verbal agreement
Limited membership rights of clubs, e.g. men only section
Overlooked for top sport jobs
