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 their child’s sporting activities their daughters from taking up sport; some considerably lower to somewhat and have positive, realistic beliefs about lesbian athletes avoid going public about their higher than the national average rates. their child’s competency. sexuality in case they experience prejudice from other athletes and coaches, or lose public Similarly, the gap between men and Organise mother and daughter and/or support/sponsorship. Ultimately, homophobia women’s participation in sport is father and daughter sessions to help does increase drop out rates amongst teenage greater amongst some minority ethnic create a familial culture of support for girls and women from participating or excelling in groups than it is in the population as a sport. sport. whole.
Ensure there are female role models in Recommendations: Assumptions about BME people – for your facility, club or leisure centre, in terms Confront discrimination. Be aware that example, that Asian people don’t play of women staff, coaches, organisers and homophobia can be subtle as well as open. football, that all Asian girls aren’t managers. allowed to wear swimsuits, that Afro- There is a fine line with the use of imagery, Be Caribbean people are good at athletics aware of the tendency to depict sportswomen as and basketball - can limit their Adolescent females place overly feminine in a bid to “prove they are opportunities to take up sport or to greater emphasis on self- straight”. participate in the full range of sports. comparison and comments Be aware that girls and women who use your Low participation rates lead to low from adults than do services and facilities will include straight, rates of volunteering, coaching, bisexual and lesbian people, who might all like to employment and leadership in sport. adolescent males. see different kinds of images and publicity. Recommendations: Social and cultural barriers Positive role models can help people who feel Have positive role models of BME isolated because of prejudice about sexuality women and girls taking part in a range Barrier: the male-dominated culture of There’s a need for more open discussion in this of sports and a range of roles in sport sport area, as well as educational projects to raise is important and can make a The culture of sport itself presents a awareness and stimulate debate.. difference to individuals and groups of problem. Some women/girls are turned off BME women and girls. ‘sport’ altogether because they see it as a Barrier: Attitudes and prejudices about male-dominated activity. It is just not seen disability Ensure that your sport is open as feminine or ‘girly’ to be interested in Girls and women with disabilities are less likely supportive and welcoming. Conduct sport and, for many girls, being sporty is than women without disabilities to participate in outreach projects (they don’t have to felt to be at odds with being feminine. sport at all levels. be expensive or time-consuming) to People with disabilities have lower participation make links with the local community. Recommendations rates for a variety of reasons: Challenge sexist assumptions and physically inaccessible facilities, venues and Be aware of religious and cultural behaviour inside your organisation and equipment festivals such as Eid and Ramadan among participants. coaching staff who don’t know how to adapt when arranging events. Ensure all their teaching to help individuals take part in your staff are trained in issues about Women and girls can respond better to the enjoyable, fulfilling activities ethnicity and diversity and are inclusive social, health and well-being characteristics unwelcoming attitudes amongst other sports in their practice. than competition. Perhaps combine participants and staff physical activity with social activities or a lack of role models to inspire, motivate and Barrier: sexual harassment and guest speakers on active lifestyles, encourage abuse nutrition, body image, smoking etc. Sport-based research on this topic is Recommendations: lacking but recent studies indicate that Combine physical activity with expressive It’s important to have more girls/women with sexual harassment and abuse is a arts; there’s scope for developing physical disabilities as role models. Think about the problem in sport. activities in conjunction with drama, dance publicity material and information in your sporting and other expressive arts. venue; does your organisation work with and Evidence shows that some women and promote coaches and staff who have disabilities? girls drop out of sport rather than Barrier: attitudes and prejudices about continue being subjected to the sexuality Consult with local disability groups to get their undermining effects of constant Sadly sport is still rife with homophobia, advice about what more you could do. harassment and abuse: others endure many boys are called gay for playing “un- the sexual attention of their male manly” sports and girls are often labelled Barrier: Attitudes and prejudices about coaches or peers because of fear, as lesbians if they play almost any sport ethnicity (apart from a few which are seen as Although many people believe that different ethnic particularly “feminine”). groups share similar experiences, differences between black and minority ethnic groups are
Issue 1 August 2008 Review due February2009 Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation Barriers to participation
desire for athletic reward, low self-esteem attitudes about women and sport, which, in turn, or ignorance of who to turn to for help. influence participation levels. Sportswomen such Typically, abused athletes keep quiet as Kelly Holmes and Paula Radcliffe, have high because they fear that they will either be media profiles, but in general, a lack of coverage accused of consenting or of inventing the of women’s sports leads to a dearth of female whole thing. role models to inspire sportswomen and create the next generation of healthy, active women. Risk of sexual harassment or abuse arises from a combination of factors such as Recommendations: weak organisational controls within sport Use press releases and good relations with your clubs, dominating and controlling behaviour local journalists to promote girls and women’s by coaches, and vulnerability, low self sports achievements. Seek media coverage of esteem and high ambition amongst your club or organisation’s achievements at all athletes. levels and regardless of the gender of the
athletes. Include representatives of all your local Recommendations: community e.g. people with disabilities, BME Adopt rigorous screening procedures and women/girls etc in any press coverage. establish codes of ethics and conduct for all staff and volunteers, whether they work Think about which local women or girls you could with adults or children. Staff and volunteers promote as role models – they could be coaches, should be required to sign, to show that volunteers or athletes at any level. Work with they agree to abide by the code. them to help inspire and motive other girls and women. Ensure all your staff and volunteers who work with children are trained in Child Work towards an equal balance of men and Protection and are CRB-checked. women, boys and girls as coaches, organisers, participants, workshop leaders etc. Around 40% Distribute information about sexual is the suggested minimum for either gender. abuse/child protection for all parents, athletes, coaches and volunteers. Foster a climate of open discussion about issues of Only 4% of sports coverage sexual harassment and abuse so that athletes feel confident enough to speak out in national and local print if they experience them. media is dedicated to
Get involved in coach education women’s sport. programmes, which inform and advise about the ethical and interpersonal issues i http://www.jogscotland.org.uk/ of sexual harassment and abuse and about the technical aspects of physical touch in iii Running Sisters clubs are nationwide. One coaching the sport. example is in Croydon http://www.croydon- running-sisters.org.uk/sisnet.shtml Be constantly vigilant and avoid complacency; expect and demand the highest standards of accountability at all levels of the sport.
Barrier: female invisibility – media representations and lack of role models in sport At all levels, and in all roles women, are under-represented in the sports sector. Working in a sector where they are in the minority can give women the sense that they don’t belong in the world of sport.
In addition there is an imbalance in the media coverage of women’s sport as the focus is almost entirely men’s sports. On average, only 4% of sports coverage in national and local print media is dedicated to women’s sport. This is significant because the media plays a central role in informing our knowledge, opinions and
Issue 1 August 2008 Review due February2009