Since the passage of Title IX in the US, which prohibited discrimination based on sex or gender, women have pushed hard for equal treatment in sports. However, there are many barriers that still must be overcome to achieve this equality. Many of these obstacles are related to the assumption that men are better athletes than women, a perception that limits the number of women in sport and discourages females from competing. The fact that women athletes are often less visible in the media also contributes to the lack of recognition for them. Despite these obstacles, the goal of gender equality in sports is getting closer every day.
The results from the interviews with athletes and sports managers/teachers/coaches showed that the participants were aware of the existence of gender inequality in sport and recognised that this was a problem. In addition, the participants identified the challenges, barriers and needs that female athletes have. These include a lack of resources, financial support, psychological support, political support, visibility in the media, environmental support, and more.
Moreover, the participants also highlighted some of the tools that could be used to promote gender equality in sport. These included training of stakeholders related to sport in gender equity, promoting gender equality in education at early ages, and encouraging the formation of sports teams led by women.
Interestingly, the study found that attitudes towards gender equality in sport vary across European countries. For example, Austria, the Czech Republic and Romania have lower ATGEQS scores, which may be attributed to conservative religiosity and older socio-political structures that do not prioritize social reforms like gender equality.