Gender equality in sports is an issue that involves multiple aspects of sport, including the involvement of women and men as athletes, coaches, referees and judges, and leadership roles in governing bodies. It is also a subject of interest to many different stakeholders in society, such as athletes, coaches and managers, governing bodies, sports associations, and the media.
Despite the fact that gender inequality in sport is a complex problem, some efforts have been made to promote gender equality. These include increasing the participation of women in sport, and encouraging more girls to take up sport. Furthermore, the gender mainstreaming approach is being applied to sports policies in order to reduce gender gaps. However, more research and the implementation of these policies is still necessary to improve the situation of women in sport.
According to our research, there are a number of factors that contribute to the existence of gender inequality in sport:
Gender stereotypes about who should play sports and what sport is for persist, leading to internalised sexism in female athletes. In addition, female athletes receive only 4% of media coverage, and when they do, their physical appearance is highlighted more than their athletic ability.
It is worth mentioning that, based on our analysis of European countries, the Nordic region is at the forefront in terms of its positive perception of gender equality in sport. This may be due to the prevailing social movements in this area, but also to a certain degree to the favourable economic conditions of these countries. On the other hand, Eastern European countries tend to resist progressive values and continue to adhere to traditional gender roles.