Gender equality is a key goal of many sports organisations, with an increasing number of women athletes and an equal representation in sports leadership roles. However, significant barriers remain.
One issue is insufficient funding. Men’s teams tend to receive the lion’s share of sponsorships and television contracts, and some companies are reluctant to support women’s teams. This creates a barrier for women’s development.
Cultural and political barriers also restrict access to sport for women. For example, traditional family values can prioritize domestic “duties” over female sporting ambitions. These beliefs and expectations can also limit women’s participation in competitive sports, especially in more conservative societies. Sport funding policies are influenced by these traditional views, which favour men’s sports because of their perceived greater spectator appeal.
A gender gap in coaching and leadership roles is another obstacle to achieving the full potential of women and girls’ involvement in sport. Although the 2024 Olympic Games will be the first to feature an equal number of men and women competitors, the representation of female coaches and technical officials remains disproportionately low (source).
There are many strategies to promote gender equality in sports, but they require strategic engagement and long-term commitment from all stakeholders. The most important is to provide all participants – regardless of their gender – with the same opportunities and conditions to succeed in sports. This requires implementing measures to prevent discrimination, harassment, and bullying. A crucial element is the establishment of an easy-to-use and secure whistleblowing system that allows people to report such incidents in a confidential manner.