Women in Sport

The aim of this lesson is to find out why women's sport is still not as popular as men's (Equivalent to UK GCSE Physical Education)

In years gone by, women were discouraged from participating in physical activity, especially sports. Back then, men and women alike thought:

Only men should play sports
Women might hurt themselves by doing too much physical activity
Women should wear respectable clothes that covered most of their bodies (i.e. not shorts and swimsuits etc!)
Women should stay at home and look after the children and house

Things have improved a lot since then. The involvement of women in sports is increasing all the time as it is now accepted that women are just as capable and have the same rights as men to exercise and stay healthy. Specialist women's gyms and women-only sessions are also widespread.

There is however, still less attention and emphasis put on women's sport:

Some sports are still thought to be men's sports, although female rugby and football teams are on the up
Women are usually not allowed to compete with or against their male counterparts. In physical sports there is good reason for this - men are bigger and stronger. However, other sports like snooker and darts could be competed on a level playing field
Women's sports have a much lower profile in the media. How often do you see a women's football match on the tv?
Because of this lower profile, many companies would rather sponsor mens teams as they get more attention
Women's competitions tend to have less prize money than men's. Even in sports where coverage is good
There aren't as many female sporting role models, this is largely due again to the lack of media attention

In 1984 the Women's Sports Foundation was set up. This organisation aims to increase the awareness of issues in women's sports and increase participation and opportunities for women at all levels.

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