Research Shows Women Are Still A Minority In Sports Positions

When thinking about a refereeing trio of a soccer match ten years ago, the imagination would bring only men in this hypothetical image. Currently, when you turn on the television, women are there, as first or second referees or linesmen. Despite the conquest of spaces that were intended exclusively for men, women still have to deal with immense barriers to accessing positions in sports, in addition to the need to assert themselves professionally and personally in the sports environment.

Although the increase in the number of women and their presence in the various sports fields should be celebrated, it should be noted that there is still a long way to go. Professor of Sports Sociology at the USP School of Physical Education and Sport in Ribeirão Preto (EEFERP), Renato Francisco Rodrigues Marques, comments that the proportion of women acting as managers, referees or coaches does not grow in the same proportion of women as athletes.

“Historically the sport was created by men and for men. The entry of women has always been an act of resistance”, says Marques. The access and progression in the sports career by them are faced with structural issues of society, which also permeate sports organizations. “If the woman decides to be a coach, for example, travel is seen as more bureaucratic, since it is up to her to take care of the house, possible children and the husband”, adds the professor of the Sport Sciences course at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) Larissa Rafaella Galatti.

In addition, to reach primarily male positions, it takes a lot of struggle in a hostile environment that discredits women, no matter how professionally qualified they are, sometimes even more than men. “There is a difficulty for women who choose to pursue this career in sports, in general lower wages, the need to show much more training to be in the same position and the environment dominated by men”, highlights Larissa.

Less presence in sports courses
The data show that, since the entry of women in sports-related courses, there is already a significant difference when compared to men. The Unicamp professor says that, in the course in which she works, which began in 2009, there is around 20% female participation and 80% male participation. In 2023, the number of women rose to 40%, but Larissa says that it could be an exceptional year and that it is necessary to monitor the numbers.

“We investigated the trajectory of male students and female students before arriving at our course. They drew their timeline and tried to identify experiences prior to the sports course”, comments Larissa. It was observed in the research that men had positive experiences in more favorable environments, while women depended on people who had a positive influence, since the environment is not always welcoming.

The lower female presence in sports courses may be associated with a trajectory of less access and opportunities throughout childhood and youth. This may also reflect a lower possibility of acting in leadership positions in sports management, such as coaches and referees, for example.

numbers in sport
In addition to the low numbers in the courses, in the sports scenario the data follow the same trend. Larissa says that, in athletics, for example, when investigating the Troféu Brasil championship, it is possible to see almost equality between male and female athletes in the adult category, a difference of only 4%. However, when talking about coaches, women do not reach even 25%, even in the youth category.

In basketball, the Women’s Basketball League has a percentage of 25% of coaches, considering the numbers from 2010 to 2017. With regard to female referees, they reach 21% of participation and, in situations of refereeing assistants and table operators, the numbers are slightly higher. “Even in this women’s league, the prevalence of men is noticeable and numerically observed”, completes the professor.

In the country’s most traditional sport, soccer, numbers remain low. When analyzing the Brazilian Women’s Football Championship, between 2013 and 2019, Larissa says that the presence of 17% of women in the position of head coach and 22% as assistant coach was observed, which shows the same problem seen in basketball, a women’s competition where men hold most of the sporting positions.

In the Brazilian Men’s Football Championship, also between 2013 and 2019, the numbers showed 39% of referees and 59% of assistants. “It is possible to see a prevalence of women among assistants, but not in the most leadership position, which is referee”, warns Larissa.

When raising the numbers in the surveys, the professor points out that it is necessary to pay close attention to women’s sports that gain visibility. “It is common for men who have had more training opportunities than women, in general to become interested and come to this side of the sport. Therefore, maintenance policies are essential, especially in women’s sports and championships.”

Next steps
In order for gender equity to cease to be a dream in this area as well, initiatives and incentives are needed to promote the inclusion of women in these spaces. “The International Olympic Committee and the Brazilian Olympic Committee have initiated policies to increase numbers in management positions. In Canada, for example, women’s teams must have at least one woman on the coaching staff”, points out the specialist.

In addition to these actions, bringing gender issues into debate, in any context, can help create alternatives to old problems, as well as highlight and encourage female participation. “The success of any woman in the field of sport makes it possible to reflect on their legitimacy in this space. When a female referee, coach or manager gains prominence, it allows reflection on how to reduce resistance for other women”, points out Marques, professor at USP.

An initiative by USP’s School of Physical Education and Sport in Ribeirão Preto (EEFERP) brings the relationship between sport and society to the forefront, with a YouTube channel where it addresses various social issues. Led by Marques, the new season of the project brought the theme of Women in Sport in one of its episodes and can be accessed for free at this link .