Gender Equality of Women in Sports

The influence of sports world on gender stereotypes and conventions is enormous. The media has the power to fight these stereotypes by encouraging equal coverage of men’s and women’s sports, as well as a fair representation of athletes of both genders.

Sport and athlete portrayals in the media can contribute to the formation of negative gender stereotypes. Women athletes are frequently depicted in the media as women first, athletes second. Women’s sports coverage is frequently dominated by allusions to their beauty, age, or family life, whereas males are shown as strong, autonomous, dominant, and appreciated sportsmen.

Women have recently gained greater access to sports broadcasting. However, statistics reveal that there is still a significant disparity. Women make up a small percentage of sports broadcasters, and weekday hosts on sports radio stations are mostly female. Women are still underrepresented in sports media, and this field of reporting is still mostly dominated by men in nations throughout the world.

There is still a disparity in the quality and amount of sports coverage provided to women and men. Two weeks of Olympic coverage is a rare occurrence when female athletes are featured prominently in the news. Despite the fact that data show that women make up 40% of all sports participants outside of big athletic events, women’s sports receive just around 4% of all sports media attention. Women are frequently objectified or demeaned as a result of this restricted coverage.