Yet another International Women’s Day has gone by. As always, there were discussions and debates on women and their empowerment. One area where women’s participation is still not up to par is sports.

While names like Minnu Mani, Renuka Thakur, Deepti Sharma and Deepika Kumari are gradually gaining recognition, it’s evident that women in sports continue to face challenges that hinder their full participation and empowerment.

A significant hurdle for women in sports is to secure sponsorship. The key to attracting sponsors lies in generating substantial viewership and support from audiences. Unfortunately, this remains a challenge, often perpetuating the cycle of financial struggles for aspiring female athletes.

Another critical issue hindering women’s progress in sports is the glaring inequality in pay compared to what their male counterparts get. This, coupled with societal stigma and the pressure to conform to traditional gender roles, discourages women from pursuing sports as a viable career option. The burden of family responsibilities largely falls on women from a young age. This limits their ability to focus on their professional sporting careers.

Inequality across sports

While some sports in India, such as cricket, badminton, tennis and kabaddi have witnessed positive change in terms of opportunities for female players, others like football and hockey are struggling to provide equal opportunities. Despite these challenges, India has made strides with the introduction of the Women’s Premiere League; it has arrived 15 years after the men’s league, though.

The Odisha Government has set an exemplary standard in supporting women in sports. By sponsoring the women’s archery team and the U-17 football team, as well as hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the government has demonstrated a commitment to fostering a conducive environment for female athletes. These kind of initiatives f can do wonders for women’s sports.

On a global scale, women’s participation in sports has seen remarkable growth, evolving from negligible representation in the early editions of the Olympics to nearly 50 per cent at Tokyo 2020. Reports from PwC and Wasserman portray the positive trend, indicating increased funding, scholarships and grants for female players. Viewership of women’s sports has tripled in the last five years, with its share of media coverage averaging 15 per cent in 2022, according to Wasserman. FIFA’s report of a 22 per cent year-on-year growth in broadcast revenue highlights the growing prominence of women’s sports.

The journey towards empowering women in sports involves dismantling barriers, rectifying disparities, and creating a supportive ecosystem. With continued efforts from the authorities, sports can become a good career option for women.

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