Women in sport face many challenges. Historically, women were not allowed to play in professional sports leagues or compete at high levels. They were too weak to compete in high impact sports and were too busy at home. The only professions available for women in sports were teaching, secretarial, and crossing guard jobs.
There are fewer opportunities
Women are often denied the opportunity to play sports in high school, compared to their male counterparts. The negative stigma attached to female athletes often accounts for this lack of opportunities. This stigma is not restricted to specific geographical areas or conferences. It can also reflect the fact that girls in low income communities often lack opportunities and resources to play sports.
Media attention is lower
Even though female athletes make up over two-fifths in professional athletes, media attention is still much lower than for their male counterparts. This is despite female athletes putting in the same amount of work as male athletes. Female sports generally receive less media coverage than their male counterparts, and more attention is given to talent and appearances than to individual achievements.
Less expectations
A variety of factors may influence women's participation. Female athletes will likely have a lower entry barrier than male athletes, which is because they are more likely to be dominated by the other gender. These differences can be explained by biological differences and differential socialization.
Transgender girls compete in sports
Legislators have attempted to ban transgender girls from participating in recreational activities since the IOC's introduction of trans policies over two decades ago. But transgender women face disproportionate amounts of discrimination, harassment, and violence, and attempts to bar them are not only transphobic and dangerous, but also undermine their cause.
Title IX
Title IX, a federal law that guarantees women's rights in sport, is Title IX. However, women from historically underrepresented communities have not benefited from the legislation as much as they should. The Women's Sports Foundation has found that girls from predominantly black schools have only 67% of the athletic opportunities available to them, as opposed to 82% in predominantly white schools.
Flo advocates for female athletes
Flo McLean was seventh in a family of 11. She grew-up in Los Angeles. She was told from an early age that she needed to act quickly in order to obtain what she desired. After her parents divorced, she moved in with her mother to Watts. Watts was a low-resourced, over-policed neighbourhood. She came across the Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Foundation that offered opportunities for local youth.