Women in Sport
International Women’s Day is just around the corner, so we wanted to talk about a subject pretty close to home: Women in Sport.
It’s no secret that the sports industry has been wildly male dominated. Over the past few years, more and more women have been able to break through barriers and make a name for themselves in the sport industry. From elite athletes; Billie Jean King, Ash Barty, teams in the AFLW, the legendary Women’s Aussie Cricket team, to women who work behind the scenes in sporting organisations, many women have been able to make a name for themselves in sport.
Unfortunately, there is still a looooooong way to go when we look at the hurdles women have to overcome.
Sexism, unequal pay, and a lack of representation in leadership positions (something that is certainly not exclusive to the sport industry) are just some of the issues still prevalent in the industry today. Women continue to be underrepresented in part due to historical and cultural biases, and in part due to blatantly obvious media bias favouriting men’s sports. Despite the fact that female teams and athletes continue to make those historical saves, record-breaking times and incredible wins - women receive significantly less media coverage in comparison.
This bias has a huge impact on the visibility and recognition of women’s achievements in sport, making it harder to secure the same career advancing opportunities. It perpetuates ignorant stereotypes, often implying women are ‘less skilled’ or ‘less interesting’ than male counterparts.
These challenges make it difficult for women to have their voices heard, and honestly — it’s really tiresome.
The good news is that despite these obstacles, women are making great strides in the industry. From athletes to coaches, commentators to executives, women are making their mark and easily proving that women bring unique perspectives, new ideas and skills to the table. Women help create a more diverse, inclusive environment that ultimately results in better decision making, innovation and success. Not to mention women in leadership positions who are awesome role models for young people everywhere.
So, how can we support women in the sports industry?
For a start, there is a growing need for our media to prioritise gender equality in sports coverage and give female athletes and teams the same level of recognition as they do males. As sports fans we can do our part in paying attention to female athletes, coaches, teams and commentators. We can support initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion - advocate for gender equality, amplify female voices on social media, tune into games on TV and heck, go to games if you can!
To learn more about Women in the sports industry, here are some interesting resources:
Listen to the Women Sport Podcast
Register for The Female Athlete Project International Women’s Day Panel
Listen to The Female Athlete Project Podcast
Together, we can help create a more equitable world of sports for everyone 🙌