Move More Podcast

Women's participation in physical activity is hindered by stereotypes and negative media coverage. Stereotypes portray women as weaker and less athletic than men, while media focuses on their appearance rather than their skills. This criticism can be harmful to young girls who are still developing their self-esteem. Media also pressures women to conform to society's views of femininity and dictates which sports are considered appropriate for women. The lack of media coverage and unequal treatment of women's sports further reinforces negative attitudes towards women. To encourage women to participate in sports, girls should be surrounded by support and encouragement from parents, teachers, and peers. They should be given equal opportunities in schools and communities, and the skills and competent gaps between boys and girls should be addressed. It is important to change the narrative and expectations for girls in sports, promoting courage and strength instead of fragility. By addressing Welcome everyone. You're listening to the Move More podcast series focused on contemporary issues associated with participation levels of physical activity and sport. My name is Emma and my special guest today is Kylie. Today we'll be discussing how women can be encouraged to take part in more physical activity in the community. There are many reasons why women do not feel encouraged to participate in physical activity, particularly stereotypes. But what stereotypes stop women from taking part in physical activity? Unencouraging comments like you play like a girl or you run like a girl can have negative impacts towards women's confidence in sport since 75% of girls have heard despairing statements about girls in sport. I would like to invite my special guest Kylie to tell us about negative stereotypes towards women in sport. Yes, thank you for having me today on your podcast. One of the most common challenges that female athletes unfairly have to face is the stereotype that women are weaker and less athletic than men. This perception is not only inaccurate but also damaging. The media frequently reinforces this image by emphasizing women's physical attractiveness rather than their abilities on the field or court. Female athletes are frequently rated based on their appearance while physical skills being commonly overlooked. That is very true. Even the most accomplished female athletes have been subjected to harsh criticism over time which has not been by any means constructive to their development. Serena Williams, one of the most accomplished tennis players of all time, has come under fire for her physical looks with some claiming she's too masculine to be appealing. This type of criticism is especially harmful to young girls who are still building their sense of self and are looking for guidance. Along with that, it is important to discuss how media can either encourage or discourage women in sport. The ability of media to pressure women into looking a certain way by publishing unrealistic images. As a result, self-objectification and psychological issues such as a low self-esteem can plague the female audience. Therefore, despite an over-increasing view that sport is an appropriate pastime for women, perhaps an underlying message asserts that whilst competing, women must still conform to society's views of femininity. Furthermore, manipulative media techniques may be found to influence female sport participation levels by portraying which sports are deemed gender appropriate. But it's important to consider how positive media coverage for women in sports impact as well, as media focus can lead to increased standards in performance as well as improved behaviour as a result of increased media focus, therefore creating positive role models and sporting celebrities. By including more media coverage of female sports, they can have a negative impact if there is not enough. Gender inequality has many negative consequences for female athletes. Not only do women receive less media coverage than men, but their sports are considered less exciting and slower. This minimises the frequency with which sports fans view women's sports. Less than 10% of sport coverage is of women's sports and less than 2% of sport coverage is of women's sports that are deemed masculine. Even though the Olympic Games are now offering the same number of sports for women as they do, the Olympic Games also display unequal coverage through their networks. For example, the US women's basketball team won their fifth consecutive gold medal in 2012, but received less than half a minute in primetime coverage, whereas the men's team, who won their second consecutive gold medal, received approximately half an hour of primetime coverage. Such misrepresentation of women's sports has been argued to be responsible for the lack of interest in women's sports from sports fans and reinforces the public's general negative attitudes towards women. The media may play an important role in changing the inequalities women face in sport. More coverage will encourage sports fans to watch female sport and help inspire young women to want to participate in sports. So what can we do to encourage women to participate in sport more in the local community? First of all, by surrounding girls with the expectation that they will succeed. Parents, teachers and peers must help to change the narrative by showing that they value girls taking part in sport. By building girls skills early so they're at a level playing field. Encourage, expect and support girls from a young age to master the fundamental skills they need to succeed in sport. Skills give sport meaning for girls, make competition fairer and success more attainable building and sustainable self-belief. It's important to not dumb it down for girls. Stop the messaging of young girls being fragile, weak and not liking competition. Instead reinforce the expectation that they can be courageous, powerful and fearless. It is important to provide more opportunities for young girls. Girls need to have as many opportunities as boys in school, PE, after-school clubs and in the community particularly in sports teams. Opportunities must be visible and accessible and create an environment where girls are genuinely welcomed and equally valued. Finally, it is important to harness the school and after-school environment. Teachers and coaches need to invest in closing the skills and competent gaps between boys and girls. Use school to embed the right attitude amongst boys towards girls in sport so there is greater appreciation, value and respect for girls playing sports. These stereotypes lead to a reduction in female participation in physical activity. Now that is all we have time for today. Now that we have suggested to you why there is a gap between girls and boys in sport, we hope you have considered how we can encourage women in sport in the local community. Thank you to our guest Kylie. It's been a great pleasure talking to you today. Thank you for joining us today. We hope you've found the information today useful. Until next time when Ashani and Lucy will be talking about the impact of mental health on athletes and teenagers. Have a great day.