Barriers to Sports Participation for Women Girls
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Barriers to sports participation for women and girls Participation rates among women and girls are much lower than men’s. The many reasons for this gender gap can be grouped as practical, personal and social and cultural. Our list of barriers also contains ideas for sports deliverers to implement to encourage and enable women and girls to participate. Practical Barriers Free introductions are useful as women are women. Some groups are particularly Barrier: lack of time & lack of childcare unlikely to sign up for a long period of time if they vulnerable e.g. BME girls and women Women tend to have less leisure time than aren’t confident about an activity or sport. can become the focus of racist men as they take on the greater burden of Subsidies or other help (for instance free behaviour. People with disabilities are responsibility for housework, childcare and equipment hire) can also make them more often the targets of bullying and care of elderly or infirm relatives. Some affordable. abuse. Travelling to and from venues women therefore tend to be reluctant to for sports or physical activity can sign up for anything over an extended Barrier: lack of transport present particular barriers for these period of time, believing it would be selfish This is a particular problem for women with young groups. to do so. children, elderly women, women and girls with disabilities, and women and girls living in rural Recommendations: Recommendation: areas. Do a safety assessment of the venue Provide crèche facilities or classes for to take into account the safety of the toddlers and children, so that the adults Recommendations: area, street lighting, transport links can bring their children along when they go Explore partnerships with transport providers. etc. Ask participants about their to exercise. Provide information about public transport. experiences and views of personal Develop a system so participants can organise safety in those areas. Signpost self- Be as flexible as possible when considering share-a-ride systems. defence lessons and personal alarms. length of sign-up periods. Promote physical activity, which doesn’t require Ensure activities are offered in Barrier: lack of money transport, such as walking and running. Walking locations or facilities that are safe and Women tend to earn less than men; women groups such as jogscotl i and ii and running groups appropriate for women and girls. Also working full time earn on average £559 such as Running Sisters iii – can support women to exercising in groups can make less per month than men do. take part in easily accessible physical activity in a physical activity safer for women and friendly, supportive group. girls. Recommendations: Consider different payment options and be Barrier: personal safety Barrier: funding as flexible as possible. Monthly direct Personal safety on the streets, on public At most levels, women’s sport attracts debits rather than annual subscriptions, or transport, and in and around sports and less funding than men’s. Women make pay as you play rather than long contracts. community venues is a particular problem for up 41% of all athletes funded through Issue 1August 2008 Review due February 2009 Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation Barriers to participation various programmes. At community sport example, Muslim girls and women who practise Barrier: lack of self-confidence level, girls’ teams tend to attract less Islam are only allowed to appear in front of men in Girls, on average, have less self- sponsorship from local businesses their prescribed dress-code. confidence than boys and rate their because they do not have large supporter performance or ability more negatively bases. Girls and women who are obese or have than do boys. disabilities may be particularly affected by These inequalities in funding result in poorer problems around body image. With an Self-confidence is also linked to facilities, equipment and kit, as well as less increasingly body-obsessed culture, these women competition. Although some women sponsorship for female athletes. are frequently judged negatively. Generally, girls enjoy the competitive element of or women might be turned off the prospect of sport, many girls and women are Recommendations: certain sports because of the revealing clothing turned off sport because it’s Review existing practice and allocation and which may attract unwanted sexual attention. competitive. This is one of the reasons take action to address inequality. Ensure why ‘aesthetic activities’, such as that where possible equal funds, prize Recommendations: aerobics, gymnastics, yoga, are money and sponsorship are available to Ensure girls and women can have privacy in increasingly popular amongst girls and male and female athletes. changing rooms and in facilities. young women, and why some traditional team sports are less Barrier: access to facilities In the design and layout of venues, prevent popular. Women and girls can’t play sport if they exposed areas between changing rooms and can’t get access to facilities at suitable facilities such as a swimming pool. Allow women Recommendations: times. Too often, sports halls prioritise to wear any clothing they feel comfortable in. Make sure all women/girls, regardless male sport so that men get facilities at of skills or experience, get the chance their preferred times, while women have to Use a variety of images in publicity, not just those to be an active part of activities and make do with less convenient times. which show the idealised female figure. teams. Access to sporting facilities can particularly Provide single-sex activities, staffed by women Where competition is a key component limited for women and girls with disabilities. and make sure that they’re not running next to a of an activity or sport, ensure women Access can be limited by physical barriers men’s session; there’s no point running a women- and girls have the chance to play at such as inaccessible entrances, reception only aerobics session in one half of a hall, only to appropriate levels against teams or areas, changing rooms and sports have men’s football in the other half. individuals of a similar standard. facilities, lack of accessible transport and parking, etc. Lack of information in Barrier: clothing and equipment accessible formats for visually impaired Clothing and equipment for sports can be Research shows that in and/or hearing impaired people can also expensive. Images of sportspeople can promote general, female create barriers. the idea that, unless you’re dressed in fashionable clothing designed for a particular sport, you’ll look adolescents report greater Recommendations: out of place. Some sports clothing is also quite body image dissatisfaction Review the allocation of facilities and pitch revealing, which create problems for women and time, and ensure equitable access during girls, linked to the issues about body image (see than males. peak times for women’s sports. above). Set up mentoring systems for older or Provide information in a variety of formats Strict requirements about clothing can also more experienced girls/women to so that all groups have equal access. prevent some BME women from participating. For mentor those who are younger or less Ensure staff undergo regular equality example, swimming pools which don’t allow experienced. Promote beginner and training. women to wear T-shirts over their swimming intermediate activities for girls and costumes, and clubs which insist members wear women as fun, open and non- Personal barriers tight fitting or revealing uniforms can exclude competitive. those who follow the Muslim faith as well as those Barrier: body image who are self-conscious of their bodies. Barrier: parental and adult influence Research shows that in general, female The influence of parents, coaches and adolescents report greater body image Recommendations: other adults affects girls and boys dissatisfaction than males. For girls and The Youth Sport Trust/Nike Girls in Sport initiative differently. Adolescent females place women the relationship between body has found that allowing girls to wear whatever greater emphasis on self-comparison image and physical activity is a vicious they like to do physical education has helped and comments from adults than do circle; the more self-conscious they feel increase participation. adolescent males, who rely more on about their bodies, the less likely they are competitive outcomes as their basis to take part in sport, and yet, participation Coaches, instructors and leisure centre staff for personal judgement of physical in sport has a positive effect on girls’ could wear casual clothing during activities, rather competence. perceptions of their bodies. than formal or expensive sportswear. Western fashion promotes increasingly Make sure the equipment available for women and revealing clothes for women and girls, girls is suitable (e.g. that there is a variety of whereas social norms in some cultures sizes) and that it’s suitable for women with prohibit exposure of the female body. For disabilities. Issue 1 August 2008 Review due February2009 Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation Barriers to participation Recommendations: There are several consequences: some girls significant. For example, rates of Parents and sports staff should act as avoid certain sports for fear of being perceived as participation in sport amongst different positive role models for their children, be unfeminine or lesbian; some parents discourage ethnic minorities vary from involved in