The portrayal of women in sports can vary greatly depending on the specific sport, media outlet, and cultural context. In some cases, women in sports may be celebrated and recognized for their achievements and celebrated as role models. In other cases, they may be underrepresented in media coverage or portrayed in a way that emphasizes their gender or appearance rather than their athletic abilities.
There has been a longstanding history of gender discrimination in sports, and women have often faced challenges and barriers in their pursuit of athletic excellence. This can include a lack of access to resources and opportunities, as well as unequal pay and treatment compared to male athletes. However, there has also been significant progress in recent years towards greater gender equality in sports, and many women have achieved success and recognition as athletes, coaches, and administrators.
While significant progress has been made ‘on the field’, equality must mean far more than the same number of female athletes means their male counterparts. Increased female representation in governance is of course crucial, but true equality must also encompass the way that sport actors (IFs, media, clubs, leagues, etc..) communicate about their sports, the athletes and their performances.
Here are three recommendations you can apply to avoid falling into clichés and stereotypes when portraying athletes:
1) Give women’s and men’s sports events the same visibility
Women’s sport has, for much of the past century, been discriminated against. It is little wonder, then, that it often does not currently generate the same income as male sport today. But the mistakes of the past should not be justification for the future. For sports organizations, giving male and female sport an equal marketing and communications space to shine can be a very simple exercise – measuring, and improving, the space and visibility that women’s sport has on its communication platforms and in its communication campaigns.2) Focus on the performance of the athlete
Sportswomen often do not want to be defined by their roles as a mother, or by their body image and some other gender-driven clichés. Communication must focus on the athlete’s accomplishment and results. You don’t want to ask the first ever female ballon d’or winner to twerk, right?
2) Focus on the performance of the athlete
Sportswomen often do not want to be defined by their roles as a mother, or by their body image and some other gender-driven clichés. Communication must focus on the athlete’s accomplishment and results. You don’t want to ask the first ever female ballon d’or winner to twerk, right
3) Use gender-neutral language
Using vocabulary that applies to males and females (e.g., strong, graceful, athletic, determined, athlete, sportsperson, etc..) will make your lives easier and help you to avoid gendered or sexist descriptions (e.g., girly, like a man, etc..).
Going further, sports should also consider whether we should continue making the difference when talking about men’s or female’s sports? Why do we refer to “women’s football”, for example, when we don’t do the same for the male equivalent? Several Federations have taken interesting steps in tackling this – and though it may seem trivial – the trickle down effect of these changes is real – it gives the message that sport is for everyone, not just males.
For sports organisations thinking moving about communicating in a more gender neutral manner, the following tools can be helpful:
- UNESCO with its first ever sports media-focused gender equality Chrome extension called Her Headline
- Eurovision sport with its 2021 publication on “Reimagining sport pathways to gender-balanced media coverage”
- IOC with their “portrayal guidelines for gender balanced representation”
- Women’s sport remains a huge opportunity for sports organisations across the world, both to increase revenues and inspire new segments of viewers and athletes. Communications must not be a be a passive bystander to this future growth, but a catalyst in itself.
The portrayal of women in sports can vary greatly depending on the specific sport, media outlet, and cultural context. In some cases, women in sports may be celebrated and recognized for their achievements and celebrated as role models. In other cases, they may be underrepresented in media coverage or portrayed in a way that emphasizes their gender or appearance rather than their athletic abilities.
There has been a longstanding history of gender discrimination in sports, and women have often faced challenges and barriers in their pursuit of athletic excellence. This can include a lack of access to resources and opportunities, as well as unequal pay and treatment compared to male athletes. However, there has also been significant progress in recent years towards greater gender equality in sports, and many women have achieved success and recognition as athletes, coaches, and administrators.
While significant progress has been made ‘on the field’, equality must mean far more than the same number of female athletes means their male counterparts. Increased female representation in governance is of course crucial, but true equality must also encompass the way that sport actors (IFs, media, clubs, leagues, etc..) communicate about their sports, the athletes and their performances.
Here are three recommendations you can apply to avoid falling into clichés and stereotypes when portraying athletes:
1) Give women’s and men’s sports events the same visibility
Women’s sport has, for much of the past century, been discriminated against. It is little wonder, then, that it often does not currently generate the same income as male sport today. But the mistakes of the past should not be justification for the future. For sports organizations, giving male and female sport an equal marketing and communications space to shine can be a very simple exercise – measuring, and improving, the space and visibility that women’s sport has on its communication platforms and in its communication campaigns.2) Focus on the performance of the athlete
Sportswomen often do not want to be defined by their roles as a mother, or by their body image and some other gender-driven clichés. Communication must focus on the athlete’s accomplishment and results. You don’t want to ask the first ever female ballon d’or winner to twerk, right?
2) Focus on the performance of the athlete
Sportswomen often do not want to be defined by their roles as a mother, or by their body image and some other gender-driven clichés. Communication must focus on the athlete’s accomplishment and results. You don’t want to ask the first ever female ballon d’or winner to twerk, right
3) Use gender-neutral language
Using vocabulary that applies to males and females (e.g., strong, graceful, athletic, determined, athlete, sportsperson, etc..) will make your lives easier and help you to avoid gendered or sexist descriptions (e.g., girly, like a man, etc..).
Going further, sports should also consider whether we should continue making the difference when talking about men’s or female’s sports? Why do we refer to “women’s football”, for example, when we don’t do the same for the male equivalent? Several Federations have taken interesting steps in tackling this – and though it may seem trivial – the trickle down effect of these changes is real – it gives the message that sport is for everyone, not just males.
For sports organisations thinking moving about communicating in a more gender neutral manner, the following tools can be helpful:
- UNESCO with its first ever sports media-focused gender equality Chrome extension called Her Headline
- Eurovision sport with its 2021 publication on “Reimagining sport pathways to gender-balanced media coverage”
- IOC with their “portrayal guidelines for gender balanced representation”
- Women’s sport remains a huge opportunity for sports organisations across the world, both to increase revenues and inspire new segments of viewers and athletes. Communications must not be a be a passive bystander to this future growth, but a catalyst in itself.
