Women's Participation In Sport Research Articles

On the cost of wearing white shorts in women's sport

The menstrual cycle and associated issues are still considered taboo in many societies, causing a lack of understanding and sub-optimal decision making. Sport can effectively promote awareness of social issues in general, including those concerning the menstrual cycle. One such issue is the anxiety arising from wearing white shorts. Despite increased awareness, still over half the teams participating in the recent 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup played in white shorts. In this study, I investigated women's and men's football games from the World Cups and the European Championships between 2002 and 2023. Using regression analysis, and after controlling for teams’ abilities and other factors, I found that women's teams wearing white shorts achieved between 0.32 and 0.37 fewer points per game. No such effect was observed among men. This result illustrates that a lack of understanding of period anxiety has an immediate cost that is very easy to avoid by simply not playing in white shorts. Most importantly, given that sport is an important vehicle of gender equality, increased awareness of period anxiety could result in higher participation of women in sports and, ultimately, in narrowing other gender gaps.

Socio-Economic Factors Affecting Women’s Participation in Sports Activities in Lahore

Women in Pakistan have been subjected to gender discrimination in different aspects of their lives, including their participation in sports. The main purpose of this study is to assess the socio-economic barriers hindering participation of women in sports activities. To this end, we adopted the survey design method. The idea behind this study is feminism in sports theory. The feminist approach to women’s participation in sports is focused on empowering women both inside and outside of the sports world, advancing gender equity, and arguing for equitable chances in sports. SMART-PLS 4, SPSS, and RStudio are used for data analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is used within structural equation model (SEM) to evaluate the hypotheses. The results revealed that women’s participation in sports is highly influenced by family influence, socio-cultural support, economic barriers, personal interest and motivation, and sexual harassment, while media coverage and wage inequality is insignificant. Sexual harassment and economic barriers negatively affects participation of women in sports. The results suggest that policy makers, sports governing bodies, universities, and society should work together to increase female sports participation by raising awareness, reducing economic barriers, and improving physical health and fitness. There is gap in understanding the socio-economic barriers that contribute to the low participation of women in sports activities in Lahore, Pakistan. This research include factors socio-cultural support, family influence, wage inequality, sexual harassment, media coverage, personal interest and motivation and economic barriers that hindering women’s sport participation in Lahore.

Factors Responsible for Gender Discrimination in Sports in Rivers State, Nigeria

The researcher investigated the Factors Responsible for Gender Discrimination in Sports in Rivers State. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The researcher used a self-developed instrument titled “Factors Responsible for Gender Discrimination in Sports in Rivers State (FRFGDSRS)” as the instrument for data collection. The instruments were administered to 570 undergraduates in the department of Human Kinetics at the University of Port Harcourt and the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education all in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The population of the study was 12,241 students in Rivers State. The researcher employed the correlational research design for the study. The reliability coefficient yielded 0.80 using a test-retest method which shows that the instrument is reliable. Based on the findings the researcher revealed that cultural beliefs, parents and religion are the socio-cultural factors responsible for gender discrimination in sports in Rivers State. Therefore, the researcher recommends that the government at all levels should create enabling environment for unfettered participation of women in sports and its management. The private organisations and individuals in the society should support the government at all levels to provide and improve sports facilities and equipment in schools so as to enable more participation in sports by both sexes.

Participation of women in sports competitions and their organization for the ukrainian people's republic

With the growing participation of women in the social and political life of European countries, their role in sports became more important. From the second half of the nineteenth century, in Ukraine, primarily in Galicia, Bukovina, Transcarpathia, and later with the extension to Volyn, Podillya, Polesie, the Dnieper and the Administrative Sea, cultural and educational, and with them a number of sports and physical, gymnastics and fire, "Sich" and "Sokil" formation, scout and tourist organizations. The "Sich" and "Sokil" sports associations had women's divisions, where Ukrainian girls and women increasingly participated in training and competitions in various types of sports, which served as a basis for the further development and participation of women in sports. Based on the material of sports notes and announcements of the newspaper "Renaissance", the effective participation of Ukrainian women in sports associations, competitions, and the organization of children's sports grounds by place of residence on the territory of the Ukrainian People's Republic during the Hetmanate period (1918–1919) was investigated and established. Women's departments of sports associations operated in Kyiv, for example, at the Ukrainian State University, and other cities and towns, the network of which was growing. The "Sports Society of Physical Development of Women" was founded in Kyiv. For the wider involvement of young people, including girls, in sports, women took the most active part in arranging children's, mainly summer, sports grounds ("sports platforms", "sports fields", "gymnastic grounds-beaches"), where children played during the day, and in the evenings a large number of supporters of games, gymnastics and other sports gathered. The range of sports in which women participated was quite wide. The most popular sports included fencing, dancing, running and jumping in athletics, and games, but their list was constantly growing with the introduction and popularization of new sports disciplines. In order to ensure proper conditions for the development of sports, women directly participated in lectures, training courses for pedagogical personnel on physical education among young people, which were attended by well-known sportsmen, teachers, and doctors of that time. In Kyiv, the initiative group for physical development, with the support of the Ministry of Public Education, opened the first "Courses for the training of teachers of gymnastics, dance and other sports" in Ukraine with a two-year full and a three-month shortened period of study. Residents of the provinces were preferred in admissions, and a "boarding" (dormitory) was organized for the students to live in during the courses. The training of specialists in physical education made it possible to increase the methodological level of classes in general and, first of all, in regional cities, and expanded the geography of women's participation in sports.

ASSESSMENT OF THE CHALLENGES AND WAYS OF OVERCOMING THEM BY WOMEN WHO PARTICIPATE IN SPORTS DURING FEDERATION OF EASTERN AFRICA UNIVERSITY SPORTS (FEAUS) WOMEN GAMES IN UGANDA

Involvement in sports for women and men teaches critical lessons on discipline, goal setting, communication and work ethics that are widely transferable and often translate into successful careers down the line. Since men's control of women's physical activity has been at the heart of masculine hegemony, sports have been a highly gendered social sphere. For a long time, women were denied the right to engage in physical exercise for reasons of health, that is, the alleged physical “weakness” of women's bodies or detrimental effects on the fertility of women, chastity or threats to the “natural order” of sexes (Meier, 2020). This study described the challenges and ways of overcoming them by women who participate in sports during Federation of Eastern Africa University Sports (FEAUS) Women Games in Uganda held at Busitema University. In particular, the study described the challenges faced by women who participate in sports and ways of overcoming challenges faced by female sports participants. The study used a cross-sectional survey design using the quantitative and qualitative approaches on a sample of 95 respondents. Data were collected by the use of self-administered questionnaires and an interview guide. The data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative data analysis involved the calculation of descriptive statistics namely, frequencies, percentages and means for analysis. Qualitative data were analysed through content analysis. The study found out that, marginalization, fear of injuries, long distances, lack of privacy around facilities, insecurity, family issues, lack of finance, lack of family support, unstable relationships, sexual harassment by male coaches, lack of time and menstrual challenges affected women participation in sports. Ways of overcoming challenges faced by women who participate in sports mainly involved; the need for professional and female coaches, family support, good feeding, financial support, better facilities, good attire, incentives for the female athlete, improvisation in sports, guidance and counselling, having extra jobs, commitment to training, exposure, government policy on women empowerment in sports, sparing time for sports committing to rules of the sport and fair play and involvement of the non-governmental organizations to support women in sports. Therefore, it was recommended that policymakers should ensure that women are empowered in sports to give them the freedom to sports participation both at home, workplaces and in the field. Managers of sports should ensure players attain full security of the players and adopt tactics that reduce fear of injuries. Management of organisations sports that involve women should provide quality playing fields, give clear instructions, provide players adequate attention and advocate the full implementation of counselling female students. Management of organisations with female sports teams should engage females in sports jobs in the sports associations and also connect them outside sports and collaborate with non-governmental organizations that support and promote women’s rights, resilience and confidence.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0565/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Omani Women Participation in Sport and Physical Education Islamic Feminism Review

This paper focuses on reviews of documents and literature relating to Muslim Women’s status generally and in the Omani context specially in sports education. The researcher reviews the literature in two important aspects: first, the Omani Muslim women's identity, its history, as well as the history of physical activities and sports of women in Oman, second the studies about in recent statues of Omani Women in Islam, gender and education. A specific focus will be on Islamic Identity Prospective and reflect that on Feminism and Physical Education in Oman As a result of the study, it can be claimed that the “Islamic Women's Identity” offers alternative approaches in gender relations through which women who choose to adhere to their Islamic identity can exercise their freedom from tradition and rules.

Gender and Sports: Historical and Contemporary Perspective of Women in Kenyan Sports

For decades, Kenyans have dominated world athletics, especially in middle and long-distance races. From the middle of the twentieth century, Kenyans were already gaining international recognition on the world stage. However, the dominance of men in sports was clearly apparent. The gender gap at that time was huge with only a handful of women participants. This paper on the exploration of women and sports participation in Kenya is twofold: it examines the genesis of gender disparities in the participation of women in sports in pre-colonial and colonial Kenya and what changes led to a reduction in those discrepancies in the post-colonial period. This paper argues that cultural limitations in different African societies and colonial policies which were highly patriarchal inhibited women’s participation in athletics during the pre-colonial and colonial periods. Nevertheless, from the 1990s, the number of women started to increase significantly in different sporting spheres including athletics. This is attributed to positive change in advocacy, formal education, and inclusivity through government policies that gave women a better platform to excel in sports and athletics in general. The increase in institutions that acted as nurturing areas for sports such as schools’ incorporation of women in the disciplined forces, among others was instrumental in giving them an opportunity and resources to engage in various sporting activities just like their male counterparts. The study was informed by the patriarchal and feminist ideology theories to explain the gender issue in sports. In methodology, the paper uses primary sources of data, mainly oral interviews, focus group discussions, and archival materials, as well as secondary sources to explain the representation of women in Kenyan sports.

Trans women participation in sport: A feminist alternative to Pike’s position

ABSTRACT Both the approach taken by World Rugby to address the question of trans women participation in women’s rugby and the paper by Jon Pike that explains the ethical justification for the exclusion of trans women players from world rugby are compelling when understood within the dominant rugby/sport narrative. However, in this article, I suggest that what is absent is a radical feminist understanding that engages with the political purposes of separate sport spaces for women in producing feminist counternarratives that challenge men’s power in/over sport. Decisions about the inclusion of trans women in women’s sporting competitions should be made on a sport context-by-sport context basis oriented by broader feminist political goals.

THE NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR GENDER EQUALITY: WOMEN, SPORTS AND MILITARY INSTITUTIONS

In Greece, sport as a tool for the promotion of gender integration and social justice has been included in the upcoming National Action Plan for Gender Equality (NAPGE) for 2021-2025 by the General Secretariat for Demography and Family Policy and Gender Equality of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. The social space of sport is also included in the currently in effect NAPGE, formulated for 2016-2020 by the General Secretariat for Gender Equality (GSGE) of the Ministry of the Interior. This article begins with a presentation of the upcoming-updated NAPGE 2021-2025 and subsequently examines NAPGE 2016-2020 which is currently in effect. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the strategic goals of the NAPGE are being implemented in the Hellenic Military Higher Education Institutions and specifically in their academic curricula and programs, focusing on coed sport activities. A strategic goal of the NAPGE 2016-2020, as in the one to follow for 2021-2025, is to promote equality in education, culture, sport, and the media. To eliminate gender inequalities the NAPGE, presently in effect in Greek society, sets six strategic goals, and incorporates the gender dimension in all social, political, educational and sports bodies. Following European Commission guidelines, the NAPGE priority areas focus on promoting health; eliminating gender-based violence; supporting equality in education, training, culture, sport, and the media; promoting social integration and equality. As regards education, the main objectives include eliminating gender stereotypes and all forms of discrimination. Research shows that women's sport participation challenges gender stereotypes. Subsequently, women’s integration and gender equality in the military is discussed, using the curricula and sport programs at the five military schools/academies along with the interview data from our previous study with twelve active-duty female officers, former cadets at these five institutions. Our findings indicate that the gender dimension is taken into account: the NAPGE is being implemented, to a certain extent. Our results show that coed sport activities and team sports cultivate acceptance, cohesion, teamwork, and collaborations, leading to women’s integration and inclusion, in addition to a healthier and more productive military environment and culture. 
 
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Medya ve Kültürel İnançların Türkiye’de Kadınların Spora Katılımı Üzerindeki Etkisi: Profesyonel Sporda Türk Kadınlarının Karşılaştığı Zorluklar

The fight for gender equality in Turkey extends as far as the sports sector of the economy. Although Turkey has recently seen a fast rise in the participation of women in sports, female athletes are still being marginalized for many reasons. The alarming levels of discrimination discourage females from entering into professional sports in Turkey and have inhibited the growth of the female sports sector in Turkey. This research aims to examine the different roles women have to take with emphasis on explaining the relationship between sports and politics in modern Turkey. The present study explores Turkish women's specific constraints and challenges in professional Sports. Qualitative data were generated from semi-structured interviews conducted with 142 female athletes (both amateur and professionals) across different cities in Turkey. The findings of the study indicate that family influence (χ= 4.39 of 5), wage inequality (χ = 4.31 of 5), media misrepresentation (χ = 4.16 of 5), inadequate sports facilities for women (χ = 4.12 of 5) and high levels of sexual harassment (χ = 3.89 of 5) are the constraints that must be addressed to improve the climate for female participation in sports significantly. The study highlights how these physical activities and sports programs play essential roles in increasing awareness of their importance and improving the overall perception of women in sports in Turkey.

Entrepreneurship, Sport, Sustainability and Integration: A Business Model in the Low-Season Tourism Sector

The global tourism reality is changing, and not only because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This reality is especially representative in countries such as Spain, which are highly dependent on the income generated by the tourism sector. In these destinations, it is necessary to seek innovation and specialization in the sector in order to achieve new business models. This need is even more pressing in destinations overcrowded by the sun and beach effect, as is the case of Mallorca. The proposed work combines the concepts of sports tourism with the development of a wealth-generating business model that will contribute to promoting a tourism that is sustainable, environmentally friendly and deseasonalized. On the other hand, the proposed work will contribute to promoting integration and equality in the participation of women in sports through the development of a model based on the promotion of women’s football. Using the methodology of case analysis, the results of all the approaches outlined are provided, and we obtained a wealth-generation model that is easily replicable and sustainable over time. This work provides a solution to the combination of a sustainable business model that links responsible tourism, the promotion of women’s sport and the generation of wealth.

Considering Biological Sex in Traumatic Brain Injury.

Published epidemiological studies of traumatic brain injury (TBI) of all severities consistently report higher incidence in men. Recent increases in the participation of women in sports and active military service as well as increasing awareness of the very large number of women who sustain but do not report TBI as a result of intimate partner violence (IPV) suggest that the number of women with TBI is significantly larger than previously believed. Women are also grossly under-represented in clinical and natural history studies of TBI, most of which include relatively small numbers of women, ignore the role of sex- and age-related gonadal hormone levels, and report conflicting results. The emerging picture from recent studies powered to detect effects of biological sex as well as age (as a surrogate of hormonal status) suggest young (i.e., premenopausal) women are more likely to die from TBI relative to men of the same age group, but this is reversed in the 6th and 7th decades of life, coinciding with postmenopausal status in women. New data from concussion studies in young male and female athletes extend this finding to mild TBI, since female athletes who sustained mild TBI are significantly more likely to report more symptoms than males. Studies including information on gonadal hormone status at the time of injury are still too scarce and small to draw reliable conclusions, so there is an urgent need to include biological sex and gonadal hormone status in the design and analysis of future studies of TBI.

The role of the female body in contesting and negotiating space in sports for women in rural and urban Zimbabwe

This article examined attitudes, knowledge, behavior and practices of men and society on Gender bias in sports. The paper examined how the African female body was made into an object of contest between African patriarchy and the colonial system and also shows how the battle for the female body eventually extended into the sporting field. It also explored the postcolonial period and the effects on Zimbabwean society of the colonial ideals of the Victorian culture of morality. The study focused on school sports and the participation of the girl child in sports such as netball, volleyball and football. Reference was made to other sports but emphasis was given to where women were affected. It is in this case where reference to the senior women soccer team was made to provide a case study for purposes of illustration. Selected rural community and urban schools were served as case references for ethnographic accounts which provided the qualitative data used in the analysis. In terms of methodology and theoretical framework, the paper adopted the political economy of the female body as an analytical viewing point in order to examine the body of the girl child and of women in action on the sporting field in Zimbabwe. In this context, the female body is viewed as deeply contested and as a medium that functions as a site for the redirection, profusion and transvaluation of gender ideals. Using the concept of embodiment, involving demeanor, body shape and perceptions of the female body in its social context, the paper attempted to establish a connection between gender ideologies and embodied practice. The results of the study showed the prevalence of condescending attitudes towards girls and women participation in sports.

Saudi Women Participation in Sports: Critical Analysis of Presupposition Strategies in Arabic Online News Discourse

Saudi women face many restrictions compared to other Arab or Muslim women as they have been barred (legally and or culturally) from doing many things by themselves or can only do some activities with the presence of a male guardian. Over the last two decades, there are many struggles recorded by the mass media, particularly the newspapers and the satellite channels. The media has been reported on the debates between groups demanding more rights for Saudi women and the conservative groups preserving the fundamental of Saudi's culture heavily based on the Islamic teaching and values. Hence, this paper examines the way modern standard Arabic online news of Al-Jazirah (AJ) of Saudi Arabia and BBC Arabic (BBCA) of United Kingdom portrayed the challenges faced by Saudi women in their involvement in international sporting events. This paper aims to analyse the ways that language is exploited in BBCA and AJ to report on struggles around the participation of Saudi women in sports, particularly in the used of presupposition strategies as one of discourse construction strategy utilised by the selected news outlets. Therefore, the paper critically examines news articles published by BBCA and AJ between 2010 and 2014 using a qualitative approach based on the textual-oriented Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of Fairclough, media discourse of Ruth Wodak and Discourse and ideology of Van Dijk. The preliminary result shows that the two news outlets have a different way of portraying the restriction of Saudi women' participation in international sporting events according to their ideologies. Thus, at the end of the study, the researchers reveal the outlets' stand on this issue. Hence, highlight the hidden ideologies at the back of the struggles in the construction of Arabic online news discourses around Saudi women in general.

“She is the Best Female Coach”: Female Swimming Coaches’ Experiences of Sexism

Sport participation for women and girls is at an all-time high in the United States, but women are still widely underrepresented in leadership positions and coaching (Acosta & Carpenter, 2014). Women hold approximately 50% of head coaching positions of women’s teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and only 18% of the head coaching positions of women’s swimming and diving teams (LaVoi & Silva-Breen, 2018). Numerous barriers have been identified through previous research on the factors that inhibit upward career mobility for female coaches. Semi-structured interviews were used to examine the career experiences of 21 current or former female swimming coaches at the NCAA Division I level. The theme of sexism in coaching was pervasive and identified in five different categories: (a) misidentification, (b) differential treatment, (c) isolation, (d) tokenism, and (e) motherhood. The sexism that female coaches experience hinders upward career mobility which can lead to career dissatisfaction and early exits from the field, contributing to the underrepresentation of women in the profession.

Strategies of resistance and empowerment of portuguese women coaches in sports

The participation of women in sports is the subject of analysis of several studies that continuously evidence inequality and asymmetry in relation to men in the different spheres of activity within this field. The objective of this study is to comprehend male hegemony as coaches and how it is accepted and/or contested in the sports environment by identifying attitudes that incorporate this male dominance or that contradict and resist it. The sample of this study is composed of interviews with 37 Portuguese female coaches in both individual and team sports. The results indicate that the presence of women in leadership positions in sports, such as of head coach, does not ensure in itself an objection to male hegemony. It becomes necessary that women incorporate the concept of “agency” in order to identify and implement strategies that resist and consequently change the patriarchal structures that perpetuate the underrepresentation of women in coaching sports.

Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Injuries, Pain, and Illnesses in Elite Female Basketball Players.

Background and Objectives: The participation of women in sports, including basketball, is becoming increasingly common, and this increased involvement raises concerns about the potential risk of sports injuries, but there is a lack of epidemiological studies about the incidence of sports injuries in women’s basketball, especially in Europe. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and localizations of sport related injuries and illnesses in elite female basketball players. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study. The sample consisted of 358 elite female basketball players, with a mean age of 23.4 ± 5.93 years, participated in the study. The players were interviewed using a pre-participation health questionnaire during the 2013–2016 sport seasons in the pre-season preparation phase. Results: 155 health problems were reported in 358 athletes during the screening period. The most frequently injured body parts were lower limbs: more than 60%, representing an injury rate of 0.14 per athletes and a 0.2 pain rate per athlete during the study period. Conclusions: The main findings showed the importance of monitoring lower extremity injuries and pain to pay attention to the players, which are at risk. The occurrence of injuries and pain among female basketball players was high. The lower extremities are the most frequently injured body area in the Lithuanian Women’s Basketball League.

WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN SPORT: A CORRELATE OF BEING WELL TO PLAY WELL

This paper is focused on participation of women in sport as a strategy of enhancing their ability to function effectively. It identified the influence of women involvement in sport on their ability to perform their role in the society. It solicited for participation of women in sport at all levels. It highlighted the benefits of women involvement in sport and strategies of motivating women into sport. It concluded by pointing out that since sport has the potential of giving women the leverage to increase their ability to function, they should be encouraged to delve into sport-related careers to enhance specialization. It explained ‘being well’ as the exhibition of satisfaction through effective performance of responsibility while ‘to play well’ is the demonstration of efficiency and high productivity. It recommended that policies which promote equity in sport participation should be implemented at all levels and opportunities for women involvement in sport should be expanded at all levels to encourage mass participation. Article visualizations:

Determinants of Women Under-Representation in Sports at the University-The Case of Kenyan Universities

Under-representation of women in socio-economic activity in Kenya continues to raise eye brows. At University sports, while the world stage seems to have resolved this issue; in Kenya it still seems to be a major problem. The purpose of this study was to look at the determinants of under-representation of women in sports at Kenyan Universities. Sports departments in Kenya suggest that they offer the same opportunities for men and woman to participate in sports. So what are the factors that affect the disparity found in participation of women in sports at the university? This paper was an attempt to look at those factors that affect women participation in sports. The study used a descriptive survey research design. The study targets all 55 Universities in Kenya which had approximately 10,000 students involved in sports. Out of this, 300 students were purposively selected for this study. A questionnaire was used to seek for information from these students. The results indicate that there was a significant difference between males and female participation in different sports at the university. This was attributed to a number of factors. These factors included motivation, state of personnel that work in sports departments, facilities, and equipment.

The women inclusion on rugby: perceptions of Brazilian national team players

Abstract Aims: Women participation in sport is historically permeated by manifestations of discrimination, especially in male preserve practices. This study aimed to investigate and describe the processes of entry and performance of women athletes in rugby, as well as socio-cultural components of this field in relation to gender differences from the perspective of Brazilian women national senior team players. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with five athletes were performed and data analyzed based on the Grounded Theory method. Results: It was found that there are social barriers for women practice in rugby. By the other hand, better opportunities for the development of an athletic career are more available than in the past. Besides that, it has been perceived that the women players need to constantly prove that they can play hard to legitimize their athletic skills among men players. Conclusions: Even if the women participation in rugby is in a changing process of acceptance, barriers still need to be broken for a full social legitimation of these players’ practice.