Common Misconceptions: Women and Girls in Sport

Do we really live in world so naive that each one is blind to the struggle of others?

Or

Do we choose to ignore those struggles and believe otherwise because it’s the easier thing to do?

In the spirit of International Women’s Day (IWD) this year, my work addresses common misconceptions when it comes to understanding the cause of embracing equity in sport. It’s important to unravel these misconceptions to have a successful outcome when addressing the issues of gender equality.

Gender Equity is the fairness of treatment to both men and women including and not restricted to their needs, rights, benefits, obligations and opportunities. It is about leveling the current playing field which is the need of the hour.

The fact is women and girls are underrepresented in leadership, governance roles and overall participation in sport. Sport Australia’s AusPlay research even suggests that girls tend to move away from organised sport in mid-teen age years making retention a lot harder for girls than boys.  The reason for bespoke funding, programs and initiatives is self- explanatory backed by data and the stories that highlight challenges that women and girls face in the current landscape.

‘We need to level the playing field!’

The barriers to achieving our goal of equality lies in preconceived notions and misconceptions around it. Through history these misconceptions have been formed, passed down generations and now deeply rooted within the sporting environment.  Some common misconceptions are;

• ‘The numbers game’ – Is the focus on quantity over quality in the industry?
• ‘The right person for the job’ – Is this the ‘right person’ for the job or are we offering the opportunity only because of our commitment to equity?
• ‘Lack of women to do the job’- Do we even have enough women who can be industry leaders?
• ‘The need for women and girls specific programs and initiatives’ – Is there really a need to offer gender specific programs in sport ?

The need to demystify these misconceptions is important to educate masses, that ‘Gender Equity’ is everyone’s responsibility and it needs to start somewhere. Do we really want to have endless discussions on ‘What came first; the chicken or the egg?’

Firstly it’s about a balance of genders that leads to a focus on quantity to level the playing field first followed by a focus on quality. It’s also about creating opportunities, education on advocacy, leadership and existing pathways and creating a welcoming and safe environment. It is an opportunity to identify individuals and upskill them through specific programs and initiatives to ensure more women and girls can take on role as industry leaders. 

Equity should be the norm and until such time that men and women have equal representation in all fields there is a need for this cultural shift. There are a number of men role models who understand and support the importance of equity believing that ‘Awareness is Fairness’ . As on IWD 2023, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) President Dave Haggerty said that the ‘role of men cannot be underestimated. It is our combined duty and responsibility to work out the best way to redress gender imbalance.’ This is another step to encourage male leaders to join the ITF’s program ‘Male Allies’ to stand united for progress. 

It is clear that each one has to play their part in ‘levelling the playing field’ and this article is my endeavor to support those reading, in understanding the importance of gender equity and the need to address these misconceptions in the contemporary world of sport.