Sexism still rife in UK sport, finds study

“Female pundits make stupid comments”: study finds sexism still rife in UK sport 

A new study has revealed the extent of sexism in UK sport, both at professional and grassroots level. 

Insure4Sport polled 2,011 UK residents on their views and participation across 22 different sports including cycling, football, rugby, tennis, and cricket.

When asked whether gender inequality exists in sport, almost a quarter said they believe women are already fairly represented. 

The specialist sports insurer gathered a snapshot of comments from these respondents and uncovered some concerning views on the topic:  

1.       Most female sports are really poor quality   

2.       There is a huge gulf in skill levels. The men are way better and deserve more money   

3.       My local men’s first team could beat the England ladies’ team quite easily   

4.       Women get more than they deserve   

5.       Women should play sport that is suited to them, like the egg and spoon race!   

6.       The advancement of the women’s game has been forced upon people   

7.       Whatever sport men are interested in, women will want to be involved too for some reason   

8.       Women are beginning to take over, they are headlining a lot of programmes, mainly making stupid comments, or giggling all the time   

9.       Women should not be paid anywhere near as much as male sports stars   

10.    Women are getting more now – they’re getting special treatment! 

The study also found that a quarter of people have never watched women’s sport, with the biggest bias found in football. More than seven in 10 (72%) of people said they have watched a men’s football tournament in the past, compared to just a third who have watched the female equivalent.  

The least viewing bias was in tennis. 44% of people watched men play at Wimbledon while 33% watched their female counterparts. However, just 58% of survey respondents agreed that women’s sport should have equal TV coverage to men.  

In addition, when asked about the gender pay gap in sport, a quarter of people said that male sportspeople deserve to be paid more than their female counterparts. This rose to 35% of male respondents.

Recent data shows that the average Women’s Super League player currently earns around 100 times less than their male equivalent in the Premier League.¹ 

Finally, it’s not just women on the pitch who are discriminated against. Almost one in 10 people said that the opinions of female pundits are less valid than their male counterparts. This view was most prevalent amongst respondents aged 55+, whilst younger age groups were less inclined to agree. 

John Woosey, Founder of Insure4Sport, said: “Attitudes towards women in sport are certainly shifting; the crowds at last year’s Euro 2022 were a clear indicator of this progress. But away from the spotlight of elite tournament football, our data shows just how pervasive sexism is – both within sport and throughout wider society.  

“Encouragingly, it appears that younger generations are more open to creating a level playing field. It’s therefore vital that UK governing bodies and broadcast commissioners tap into this momentum to advance women’s sport in the years to come.”