Achieving Gender Equality in Sports and Overcoming Discrimination

Introduction

Sports Equality. Do girls qualify as athletes? Are female sports considered a sport to all? Mariana De Paula Silva wrote on Athletes Network, “Female athletes have to deal with sexist comments coming especially from men who think these female athletes aren’t strong or talented enough to perform well” (2016). Why should female sports be treated just as equal as male sports? Females should get the same athletic recognition as males because the same effort and ability goes into it. Women should have sports equality.

Challenges and Discrimination Faced by Women Athletes

Many sports done by females are not looked at the same as male sports. This happens because some men believe they are strictly just better than females. Laws have been made to prevent this but have not been able to knock it out. In the article “Title IX and Sex Discrimination,” the US Department of Education writes, “Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance” (2015). Title IX is the law to prevent this type of discrimination in these sports, along with education.

Some females have such great abilities but are not accepted to participate in the sports they would like to. Women get poorly treated and talked about. Many female athletes get harsh remarks from males, even those who are not competing. “The Push for Gender Equality in Sports is Building Momentum” states, “Similarly, women face discrimination at all levels and continue to endure violence and abuse. Gender inequality persists among decision-making bodies, technical occupations, the media, and in the awarding of sponsorships and prizes,” wrote Lydia Nsekera (2018). Women have so much talent.

Even with this talent, they may not receive the opportunity to participate in big events such as the Olympics or even small events happening in the local city. If females do receive the chance to compete, they may not get a fair reward. A woman may have competed better than a male, but they may still reward the male for recognition.

Conclusion

Some sports that are mainly done by females do not even get recognition as a sport. People may show a lot of athleticism but still not have the activity considered a sport. Sports such as baton twirling and gymnastics are questioned as sports. The training and time spent on these activities are incredible.

Reference List

1. Pajon Jr., G and Timberlake, J (2003). “Where Is the Love” [Black Eyed Peas] on Elephunk, [Disc] Universal Music Publishing Group (December 26, 2001–March 3, 2003)
2. US Department of Education, (2015), Title IX and Sex Discrimination, Office for Civil Rights,
   https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html
3. Nsekera, L. (2018). The Push for Gender Equality in Sports is Building Momentum,
   Olympic Games, https://www.olympic.org/news/the-push-for-gender-equality-in-sport-is-building-momentum
4. Silva, M. (2016). Gender Equality in Sports, Athletes Network,
   https://an.athletenetwork.com/blog/gender-equality-in-sports
5. Pavlovich, L. (2017). The Gender Equality Debate, Athlete Assessments,
   https://athleteassessments.com/gender-equality-debate/
6. Oxford (2019) Definition of Sport, Oxford Dictionary
   https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sport
7. Scaletta, K. (2011). Is It a Sport or Not a Sport, Bleacher Report,
   https://bleacherreport.com/articles/848465-settling-the-debates-is-it-a-sport-or-not-a-sport