On this page we will critically discuss how females are discriminated against in sporting activities. Females, when compared to males are still discriminated against when it comes to sport in general. The discrimination usually takes form through the wage gap, lack of adequate media coverage, and derogatory stereotypes against women.
Video: Will Men and Women Ever Be Paid the Same in Sport?
Three ways females are discriminated against in sporting activities
Below is how females are discriminated in sporting activities examples, such as wage gap, media coverage, and stereotypes:
1. The wage Gap between Sports Men and Women
It is a known fact that women and men are not paid equally when it comes to most sporting activities, even though they are performing the same sports activity. A typical example is a soccer sport, which is predominantly a male sport. Male soccer players get paid way more than female soccer players. Female soccer stars are even less popular in society, therefore missing out on many financial sponsorships and endorsements that are attracted by fame.
2. Lack of media coverage for female sporting activities
There is a great lack of media coverage for female sporting activities as compared to males. According to Glamour, women makeup 40% of all participants in sports—yet somehow receive only 4% of sports media coverage. It has a damning ripple effect: Without airtime, female athletes lose out on sponsors, fans, and coin.
3. Stereotypes that discriminate women in sport
It is widely accepted across many modern societies today that, ‘feminine’ personality traits are affectionate and compassionate, and by contrast, ‘masculine’ traits are considered to be assertive and dominant. This obviously has a great deal of influence when it comes to sports activities. May sporting activities by their nature highly reward tough and fit bodies, and are oriented towards male stereotypical traits such as assertiveness and dominance. Gender stereotypes are not always conscious and most of the time they generalise without necessarily containing facts.
List of stereotypes that discriminate women in sport:
- Women are weak and men are strong
- Men are assertive than women
- Women are natural nurturers while men are natural leaders
- Women are too emotional to do tough work or activity,
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