I WAS alerted recently to research by insure4sport that found a staggering 81% of Britons do not believe female athletes have the potential to outperform their male counterparts. As with most surveys that cover the UK, my first thought was to find out if it included Scotland and am happy to report that in this case it did, which is good, although overall the findings are disappointing.
The results were a bit disturbing as they highlight the archaic attitude still held by many towards women in sport. Four comments in particular caught my eye: it’s bad enough having women commentators never mind players; it’s poor quality, they’re not as skilled; it’s like watching kids play; and I find them slow, weak and boring. Really! What were these people watching?
I believe this opinion is reflective of those who probably haven’t taken the time to go out and support the many top-level sporting events that are hosted throughout the country for women. I’m not sure what sport they were talking about, or what level of athletes were involved, but that is definitely not my experience. Some of this attitude can be put down to the lack of media coverage across all the platforms. However, another factor is poor marketing and communication by sports bodies.
Another disappointing part of the survey showed that 60% did not watch women’s football. Almost 40% of respondents said they preferred to watch men play sport compared to just 7% who prefer to watch women, with one in five men believing women are inferior at sport in some way.
Thankfully, we have an opportunity to change these perceptions. This summer, Scotland is well placed to help do that, with the Aberdeen Asset Investments Ladies Open Golf this month, the inaugural European Championships in early August, and the Scottish FA WNT World Cup qualifier later in August.
These events deliver a quality experience for sports fans at a reasonable price, which means you can take the whole family with you.
More details of the survey available by following this link.
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