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There is a problem regarding gender equality in sport that still persists today. Gender discrimination in sports media is one of the culprits. However, the problem also exists because of attitudes of the corporate sponsors and the fans. The fans have to watch the games for sponsors to make money. Despite the fact that there are many excellent women athletes competing today, the coverage they receive from the media is insignificant when compared to the men.
Male athletes are still paid more than woman and win larger amounts of prize money. Colleges spend less of their operating budgets on female athletes and they get less in the way of athletic scholarships. Sponsors offer fewer endorsements to women than men.
The physical strength, power, speed, and size of male athletes is covered extensively in the press. The games they participate in like football, hockey and basketball boost ratings and the stars are given great status. Despite the fact that many women athletes are very successful, they do not achieve the same recognition.
This is perhaps due to the fact that perceptions need to change. The role of women still seems to be seen by many as a supportive one. They are the spectators, the cheerleaders, the mothers and the wives. Their own athletic skills take a secondary place. Advertisers do not help in that they tend to reinforce this perception in the way they portray women.
Bigger events are often held for men and there are more of these for them to participate in. Less and smaller events for women means less reporting on the achievements of women athletes and increased difficulty in getting the attention of sponsors. Sponsors want to have as much coverage as possible for the money they invest.
Women are often perceived as much weaker than men and people still feel that certain activities like weightlifting are inappropriate for them. Data suggests that women actually experience just as many benefits to their health and self esteem from participating in sport as men. Certain activities like swimming, skiing and ice-skating show more of a balance when it comes to coverage but even when it comes to tennis and cycling, men still dominate.
Another issue affecting women when it comes to sport is sexual harassment. Even women reporters often still have to face sexist remarks and endure wolf whistles when trying to report on a game. Women athletes have their appearance discussed in magazines as much as any of their sporting achievements.
Fewer events seem to exist for women athletes and this means less media coverage, creating a vicious cycle whereby less sponsorship is received. Women are still hoping for a shift in perception so that they receive more coverage on the major networks. While there is a long way before this happens, some promising developments have taken place in the past couple of years. Establishment of an internet website looking at what female athletes excel in is a sign of progress.
Male athletes are still paid more than woman and win larger amounts of prize money. Colleges spend less of their operating budgets on female athletes and they get less in the way of athletic scholarships. Sponsors offer fewer endorsements to women than men.
The physical strength, power, speed, and size of male athletes is covered extensively in the press. The games they participate in like football, hockey and basketball boost ratings and the stars are given great status. Despite the fact that many women athletes are very successful, they do not achieve the same recognition.
This is perhaps due to the fact that perceptions need to change. The role of women still seems to be seen by many as a supportive one. They are the spectators, the cheerleaders, the mothers and the wives. Their own athletic skills take a secondary place. Advertisers do not help in that they tend to reinforce this perception in the way they portray women.
Bigger events are often held for men and there are more of these for them to participate in. Less and smaller events for women means less reporting on the achievements of women athletes and increased difficulty in getting the attention of sponsors. Sponsors want to have as much coverage as possible for the money they invest.
Women are often perceived as much weaker than men and people still feel that certain activities like weightlifting are inappropriate for them. Data suggests that women actually experience just as many benefits to their health and self esteem from participating in sport as men. Certain activities like swimming, skiing and ice-skating show more of a balance when it comes to coverage but even when it comes to tennis and cycling, men still dominate.
Another issue affecting women when it comes to sport is sexual harassment. Even women reporters often still have to face sexist remarks and endure wolf whistles when trying to report on a game. Women athletes have their appearance discussed in magazines as much as any of their sporting achievements.
Fewer events seem to exist for women athletes and this means less media coverage, creating a vicious cycle whereby less sponsorship is received. Women are still hoping for a shift in perception so that they receive more coverage on the major networks. While there is a long way before this happens, some promising developments have taken place in the past couple of years. Establishment of an internet website looking at what female athletes excel in is a sign of progress.
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