Leading Employment Lawyer Says Authorities Must ‘Grasp The Nettle’

The campaign group, Women in Sport, has reported that 40% of women working in the sports industry say they have faced active discrimination because they are female. This is compared to 21% of men who say they have experienced gender discrimination.

The report titled  Beyond 30% - Workplace Culture in Sport carried out a survey on over 1,000 men and women across various roles in sports administration at national governing bodies, leisure organisations, county sport partnerships and sports charities.

Ruth Holdaway, the chief executive of Women in Sport, described the findings as hugely significant. 

According to the report: 

o 30% of women working in sport and 11% of men had experienced what they called "inappropriate behaviour" from the opposite sex. 
o 72% of men working in sport said they believed there is "fair and equal treatment of men and women in their organisation", compared to 46% of women.
o 58% of women said they felt they had to prove themselves more than men, whereas 42% of men said the same.

The report also touched upon several other gender-related issues within the sports industry such as the gender pay gap, lack of opportunities for women in senior positions and a networking culture geared towards men.  

These findings show that there is still a lot more to be done to address gender imbalance in the sports industry and that governing bodies need to take more action. According to the report, less than half of National Governing Bodies of sport have met the minimum requirement of having 30% of women on their boards. However, 

Holdaway expresses that gender imbalance is not just a matter of redressing the numbers, it is also vital to address barriers within the culture of sports.

It is also essential to include men in the conversation as she states: “If men are in the leadership roles and can’t perceive the problems then they can’t fix them.”

Expert Opinion

“The findings of Women in Sport resonate with the high levels of gender discrimination reported in other professions including the banking, the media and politics. The governing bodies such as the FA and UK Athletics need to grasp the nettle by accepting there is a problem and taking swift action.” Shah Qureshi - Partner

This story is one amongst the many recent news stories on gender discrimination and issues regarding gender in the workplace.  The #MeToo movement as well as the recent gender pay gap reports have sparked the debate and ignited conversations on gender discrimination and what more can be done to make the workplace a safe and inclusive environment.