Breaking Barriers

Let's explore some research and examine some practical applications

Fenwick Media Photography

Recently, Adidas released some research through Women Win as part of their Breaking Barriers project.

They aimed to explore 4 questions:

1. How does the general public’s understanding and perception of gender inclusion within the sports sector influence their engagement with and support for sports activities and events?

2. What conditions within organisations/institutions enable or inhibit change?

3. What is an ‘inclusion beyond representation approach’ within the sports sector?

4. What best practice examples of an ‘inclusion beyond representation approach’ exist?

Through this they identified 5 key areas for opportunity within sports organisations, and these can be applied and used within your environment as well:

1. Addressing women’s unique needs

2. Embedding gender-senstive safeguarding practices

3. Advancing career and leadership opportunities for women

4. Ensuring inclusive media coverage and visibility

5. Equalizing investment, pay and prize money

You can use these 5 areas to help create change and drive momentum at your club. These topics give you and your club’s committee areas of focus to assess where you’re at and what to focus on.

The report goes into detail around numbers and findings. However, I want to summarise the 5 key areas to give everyone some takeaways for their own environment.

Sections of the report look at findings for professional sport (maternity leave, paternity policies etc). However, I want to focus on the areas that can apply to every area of sport.

Addressing women’s unique needs

“Expectations in sports are often set by masculine norms and standards, creating an uneven playing field. Despite having different needs and responsibilities, women are expected to work and perform the same way as men.”

• Free access to menstrual products: you can get players and club members to donate, or allocate a small section of funding to purchase products. Ensure they are accessible in the toilets.

• Flexibility: In grassroots sport it’s about being mindful that not everyone can make every session. Think about how you can help players who are returning after an absence, or ways people can still stay connected when they’re not at training.

• Kit: Often a source of frustrations within sport. If your team have shorts, consider a different colour than white. Or, make team shorts optional and invite players to bring their own (as long as they’re suitable for matches).

• Gender-informed coaching: create gender-informed sessions, for rugby that includes some of the awareness around ACLs and World Rugby’s Contact Confident and neck stability.

Embedding gender-sensitive safeguarding practices

“The gendered power dynamics that exist within sports provide fertile ground for safeguarding violations, with women in the industry particularly vulnerable to abuse.”

• Provide mandatory training: Ensure all safeguarding training includes gender senstivity and provide education for all staff, coaches and volunteers.

• Safeguarding officers: Have trained safeguarding officers, ideally at least 2, across your club.

• Safer space policies: Ensure any travel and accomodation arrangments are appropriate.

• Collaboration: Could you work with expert organisations, including those work looks at gender-based violence to develop your policies further?

Advancing career and leadership opportunities for women

“The lack of formal workplace policies in the European professional sports sector allows gender inequalities within the workplace to persist. There is a vast range of structures across countries and sporting disciplines—while some organizations have formal HR and management systems, many operate like community groups without professional frameworks.”

• Develop networks: Arrange meetings and group chats for female coaches, volunteers at your club

• Encourage others to join external networks: Send links to female coaches, manager and volunteers to join external networks such as Women’s Sport Collective and the new Women of Union

• Policy and practice: Develop hiring policies that openly advertise. If a club hires coaches without advertising, candidates are cut off.

Ensuring inclusive media coverage and visibility

“Media institutions and platforms play a pivotal role in leveling the playing field and fostering greater engagement in women’s sports. By enhancing the visibility and representation of women in sports, they can inspire the next generation of girls to participate.”

• Feature women: Make sure photos of the women’s team playing or female coaches are at the forefront of your club’s social media and website

• Shine the spotlight: Run feature series highlighting the work done by women at the club

• Use gender-inclusive language: Ensure the communication reflects the role of women within your club. For example, ensuring the men’s team are listed as 1XV men and not just 1XV ‘club name’.

Equalising investment, pay and prize money

“In a sector that has been historically underfunded, this increased investment plays a pivotal role in providing access to better opportunities, training, equipment, and professional support for women in sports.”

• Memberships: Can you find some funding or sponsorship to reduce the cost of membership, which reduces a barrier, especially for someone new to the sport.

• Consistency: Have a long-term plan for investment and growth.

• Sponsorships: Work with sponsors who’s ethos matches the womens/girls’ teams.

These are some suggestions from the research report and some of mine after reading it.

A final thought: One of the most powerful tools in the growth of your team is using the stories of your players and the ethos of the team. Tell that story on social media. Describe the team’s ethos to sponsors.

Read more about the research

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