Since Title IX in the United States was passed 50 years ago there has been a dramatic increase in access and opportunities for girls and women to participate in sports. However, there is still much work to do.

The recent #MeToo and #SeAcabo movements have helped to highlight gender inequality in sport. They have also brought to light some of the ways in which women and girls are treated unfairly by their coaches, clubs, and other sporting institutions. These movements have also highlighted the need for effective policies to tackle sexual harassment, violence and discrimination in sports.

This article uses data from the Special Eurobarometer 525 to explore differences across Europe in attitudes towards gender equality in sports (ATGEQS). Using a Fuzzy-Hybrid TOPSIS approach and multinomial logistic regression, this study identifies the key determinants of ATGEQS. The analysis reveals significant regional variations, consistent with previous research suggesting that very strong traditional gender roles and a history of conservative religiosity may be important determinants of resistance to progressive gender issues in sport (85-87).

The results show that sports participation is directly related to support for ATGEQS. This finding suggests that promoting greater participation, particularly amongst girls and women from marginalized groups, would be an effective way to raise awareness about the need for gender equality in sport. Greater investment in gender-equitable programmes and improved mechanisms for reporting complaints of discrimination and harassment would also be beneficial. However, tackling the ideological resistance to such initiatives will require more than social movement activism and media advocacy alone.