2 Gender discrimination in sport
You will start your exploration of gender discrimination in sport by reflecting on your knowledge of male and female athletes, in the activity below.
Activity 2 Guess who
Without using the internet, see if you can match the following athletes with their sports.
Men
Using the following two lists, match each numbered item with the correct letter.
-
Usain Bolt
-
Harry Kane
-
Andy Murray
-
Tom Daley
-
Mark Cavendish
-
Anthony Joshua
-
Sam Underhill
-
Max Whitlock
-
Tom Barras
-
Jos Butler
-
Richard Whitehead
-
David Smith
a.Diving
b.Cricket
c.Football
d.Tennis
e.Rowing
f.Boccia
g.Cycling
h.Para athletics
i.Athletics
j.Boxing
k.Rugby
l.Gymnastics
- 1 = i
- 2 = c
- 3 = d
- 4 = a
- 5 = g
- 6 = j
- 7 = k
- 8 = l
- 9 = e
- 10 = b
- 11 = h
- 12 = f
Women
Using the following two lists, match each numbered item with the correct letter.
-
Dina Asher-Smith
-
Leah Williamson
-
Katie Boulter
-
Eva Okaro
-
Lizzie Deignan
-
Lauren Price
-
Marlie Packer
-
Becky Downie
-
Helen Glover
-
Heather Knight
-
Hannah Cockcroft
a.Swimming
b.Rowing
c.Athletics
d.Cricket
e.Cycling
f.Tennis
g.Gymnastics
h.Rugby
i.Para athletics
j.Boxing
k.Football
- 1 = c
- 2 = k
- 3 = f
- 4 = a
- 5 = e
- 6 = j
- 7 = h
- 8 = g
- 9 = b
- 10 = d
- 11 = i
How many did you match correctly and why do you think this was (e.g. consider the type of sport, exposure to female/male sport)?
Discussion
It is likely that you knew more of the male athletes than the female athletes. There are several reasons why this might be the case, but one reason could be due to gender differences in media coverage. Nonetheless, increased media coverage and the broadcasting of major women’s sporting events on free-to-air TV has been one of the biggest factors driving expanding interest in women’s sports in the UK. Media coverage of women’s sport in 2015 made up just 7 per cent of all sports media coverage (Women in Sport, 2015, p. 3). However, a US global report in 2022 by Wasserman shows this average had risen to 15 per cent. In a UK-specific report by Women’s Sport Trust (2023), figures show that BBC and ITV account for 11 per cent of 2023 coverage hours of women’s sport but 77 per cent of viewing hours, with football dominating. Of note, women’s sport continues to attract new audiences: for example, 15.6 million people watched the Women’s World Cup in 2023.
While progress has been made in terms of visibility, with record numbers in 2023, coverage reduced in 2021 and the proportion of coverage devoted to women’s sport by TV sports news and print media was even lower in 2022.
The imbalance in sponsorship gives further exposure to men’s sport.
You will now continue to investigate the gender imbalance in sport, and its potential implications for how women’s sports are valued.
Activity 2 highlights some of the gender imbalance evident in media sports coverage. This gender imbalance could be thought of as a form of discrimination. Gender discrimination is defined as ‘a situation in which someone is treated less well because of their sex’ (Cambridge Dictionary Online). Under the UK Equal Opportunity Act (2010), which replaced the Sex Discrimination Act (1975), it is against the law to discriminate against, bully or treat someone unfairly in sport because of a personal characteristic (e.g. race, sex or disability). For example, a sports team not selecting someone to coach their team because that person is a woman, or a sports club refusing to provide the same range of sporting equipment to both a women’s and a men’s football team would be classed as discrimination. Although the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ are often used interchangeably, there are subtle differences between them. These are explained in the following key terms and definitions [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .
Having now examined an example of gender discrimination, in the next activity you will reflect on your own experiences of gender discrimination.
Activity 3 Sharing experiences
Think about whether you have experienced any form of gender discrimination connected to your involvement in sport or exercise. Remember that both women and men can be discriminated against.
Write down your experiences in note form, using the ‘prompt’ questions below as a guide.
- What was the situation?
- How did it make you feel?
- Why do you think it occurred?
- How do you think this could have been prevented?
If you can’t think of any personal experiences, think about why you haven’t experienced any discrimination and/or think of an incident you might have witnessed. Also, consider whether you might have been an unintentional perpetrator of discrimination.
Reflect on your experiences and consider whether you feel that gender discrimination is a significant issue in sport and exercise.
Discussion
Reflecting on your own experiences is a good way to construct a deeper and more meaningful way of understanding and articulating knowledge. You may have spoken to others about their own experiences and this may have encouraged you to consider different perspectives. Sometimes, the dynamic process of reflection can also challenge existing theoretical perspectives. An awareness of gender inequality can provide you with a base from which to challenge discrimination as a whole (e.g. on the basis of disability, race or sexuality).