Gender equality has been a long-standing issue in the sports industry, affecting everyone from athletes to those working behind the scenes. But what is the solution?
Both Nathalie Boy de la Tour, former President of Ligue 1, and Adele Stern, a high-level modern pentathlete and member of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee for Olympic and Paralympic Games share their views on how to achieve gender parity in sports.
From gender stereotypes to sexism, the obstacles that women face in sports are multiple. Women are often perceived as inferior to men in the same sport, despite their hard work and dedication. They are also under pressure to conform to societal expectations of what sports should be for women. This is due to the sexist perception that men are physically stronger, better at sports, and can handle physical hardship more easily, compared to female athletes.
In the United States, Title IX is a key factor that has opened doors for women in sports. Passed in 1972 as part of the Education Amendments, it prohibits discrimination based on sex in any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
Although women’s participation in sport has increased dramatically since Title IX was passed, there is still a lot of work to do. For example, women’s representation in the leadership of sports federations remains low. In addition, the lack of representation from women in media coverage is another issue. The lack of visibility for female athletes can cause them to doubt their abilities and lead to internal attributions, which can reduce motivation, performance, and future expectations.