After the release of the new film ‘Battle of the Sexes’ in November, questions about gender equality in sport have arisen again. Has anything been achieved since 1973?
Huge strides have been made in terms of women’s inclusion in sport over the last 20 years, however 40 years on since the infamous ‘Battle of the Sexes between tennis starts Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King 1973 inequality still exists.
Despite improved inclusion across sports, the disparity between the coverage received for women’s sport, the prize money and the treatment of female sports stars by members of sporting organisations compared with that of their male counterparts is astonishing. The engrained culture of assertive masculinity in many sports is damaging the experience of female athletes and sports stars.
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In 2014, it was estimated that only 0.4 per cent of commercial investment in sport was being spent on women. Structures have been put in place for the improved inclusion of women in sport and there is demand from the audience for it, however, there is a real lack of sponsorship and tie-ups to sustain the growth.
Women remain under-represented on boards and in governing bodies, many of which are still predominated by white middle-aged males. Without representation at the highest level, it is difficult to see how we can shut the gap for the equality of the genders in sport.
Though significant progress has been made, in part due to the presence of strong female sporting role models such as Serena Williams, the battle for opportunities has only just started.