Women's sport, in Australia particularly, is experiencing considerable growth. Female participation at a grassroots level is on the rise in several major sports. There are new elite and professional options available to female athletes. Media interest is on the rise and many people are seeing the benefits and value of female sports at all levels.
However, there remains an imbalance compared to men's experience in sports. So, what do you need to know and what can you do? In this post, you will get the key information to understand the issue and tips on how to take action to change things for the better.
There are many reasons for this and most relate to social and cultural factors. In our sporting environments, it is suggested that gender bias may be limiting female participation on and off the field of play.
There have been many studies conducted in Australia and around the world examining the barriers faced by women and girls when it comes to getting involved and staying involved in organized sport. Below is a list of some of these identified barriers.
Concern about appearance and body image
Self-conscious in sports uniforms
Male-dominated sports culture
Lack of girls-only groups
A study out of England showed there are 1.9 million fewer women than men playing sport regularly (at least once per week). This report also explored what motivates women to get involved in sport by focusing on the impact that 'influencers' and 'role models' have on female sporting participation.
The study found six key spheres of influence that sports providers can use to leverage greater participation among women:
Possibilities – opening her eyes to what she can do. Inspiring women with real stories they can relate to can help to prime participation.
Togetherness – sharing her intentions increases commitment. A friend’s invitation makes sports participation more attractive and there is also greater safety in numbers. Socializing with friends is rewarding and bonding becomes a strong external motivator.
Support – ensuring she has behind-the-scenes support. Support from the people in her everyday life (particularly family) is critical to sustained participation.
Progression – giving her a sense of direction. Progressive improvement, positive reinforcement, and setting realistic goals help sustain participation.
Belonging – making her feel included and valued. Participation in sport must be enjoyable and provide an experience worth repeating; personalized contact that underlies respect and recognition.
Internalize – helping her reflect on her achievements. Focusing on feeling good about oneself and the sporting experience, internalizing her behavioral journey.
Similarly, a Canadian study explored the factors that influence women’s participation in sports. This report found several factors that enabled participation, they include;
positive perception of one’s skills and ability;
progress in the successful mastery and refinement of skills;
high self-esteem and positive perceptions of physical competence;
positive self-perception of physical appearance;
experiences that are enjoyable and satisfying;
acceptance of one’s socio-economic status, race, culture, disability;
feelings of cohesion, belongingness, emotional support from peers and others;
Create an environment where women and girls feel comfortable, safe, valued, and involved. This might mean changes need to be made to social, cultural, and even physical aspects of the environment.
Research suggests female participation is influenced by a sports experience that encourages socializing and fun. So make sure this is part of the experience. If your culture is only about winning and competition you may need to re-evaluate things.
Offering options that are less competitive or non-competitive could be encouraging increased participation by women and girls. Also less traditional forms of sport are attractive to female participants. But, there should also be avenues to develop skills and progress. So think about ways you could offer things in new ways that focus on health fitness and fun as well as com
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For more on this, I highly recommend you read Women on Board, by Play by the Rules.
