Even though the popularity of women’s sports has increased over the years, the attention given to female athletes still has to be improved. If an athlete is not getting the same attention as their male counterparts, they can feel that they are being discriminated against and will eventually lose motivation and confidence in their sport, especially if they know that they are not getting equal ticket sales, sponsorships, prize money or other privileges.
Title IX and other strategic moves by governing bodies and professional leagues have helped to close the gender gap in sports, but it is important to continue to strive for equality. This includes funding, investing and implementing policies that aim to close the pay gap, promote women in governance and coaching roles and prioritize trauma-informed and survivor-focused responses.
The first step to achieving gender equality in sport is raising awareness of the issues and educating people. This can be done through research and by involving professionals in the sports industry such as women athletes, men athletes, physical education teachers and coaches. Focus groups have been a great tool to get information from these individuals and to determine their perception of the problems in sports.
These perceptions include lack of access to financial support, psychological and politic support, visibility in the media and dual careers. In addition, it is likely that there are gender stereotypes in the sport environment that can cause women to avoid participating in certain sports, as well as receiving derogatory comments for wanting to participate or being successful at masculine sports.