Gender equality in sports is essential to ensuring that girls and women can access the health, social, and lifelong benefits of physical activity. But tackling gender stereotypes is not easy. The media, for example, contributes to the construction of harmful gender stereotypes in their representations of sport and athletes. Those in power, like governing bodies and sports companies, can help to counter these negative stereotypes by strategically engaging with gender issues in sport.

The findings from our analysis of the Special Eurobarometer 525 show that sports participation is a strong predictor of support for gender equality in sport. This is consistent with previous research, which has linked high levels of sport participation to supportive attitudes towards GE (98-100). However, the positive effects of sports participation are limited by the fact that men are more likely than women to have access to sporting environments.

In addition to cultural and structural barriers, family and societal expectations also play an important role in limiting the availability of sport for girls and women. For example, parents often discourage daughters from participating in male-dominated sports such as weightlifting, fearing that it will negatively impact their femininity or social status. Moreover, cultural beliefs about gender roles tend to prioritise domestic “duties” over personal ambitions in competitive sport.

Achieving gender equality in sports is a complex challenge that requires a holistic approach that includes tackling cultural and structural barriers as well as supporting women to participate in and benefit from sport. This can be done by fostering a culture of inclusion, addressing gender stereotypes and encouraging women to participate in sports, and by providing female athletes with equal opportunities and financial assistance.