Problems of Gender Studies in Sports Psychology

 Unsurprisingly, sports, which house the careers of the foremost passionate and therefore the aspiring, is additionally a serious concern when it involves the difficulty of gender discrimination. Male dominance in sports has become a nightmare for female athletes, who within the hope of pursuing their careers within the field of sports, are bereft of self-esteem among a plethora of gender discrimination instances. Women’s participation in sports features a long history. It's a history marked by discrimination, but also one that's crammed with major accomplishments by female athletes and important advances for gender equality. Among many, a number of the foremost notable achievements of girls in sports are those of Helene Madison of America, the primary woman to win the 10-yard freestyle in one minute at the 1932 Olympics, Maria-Teresa de Filippis of Italy, the primary woman to compete during a European Grand Prix automobile race in 1958, and Tegla Loroupe of Kenya, who in 1994 became the primary African woman to win a serious marathon. These achievements were made in the face of various barriers that supported gender discrimination. Many factors have led to the continuance of this ill practice; one such factor being the media. By the lesser representation of the achievements of girls in sports, the media has hampered the likelihood of a further reach of talent possessed by female athletes to the audience. Several studies done on media coverage of girls' sports continue to prove that ladies' sports are generally ignored or are given very little importance. Additionally, harassment has also been a serious concern, especially in developing countries like India.

By: Jyoti Nayak

Birla School, Pilani