The EU project Sport for all Genders and Sexualities presents the final report of the survey.
The EU co-financed project SGS – Sport for all Genders and Sexualities, which aims to promote an inclusive sports culture for all people regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity in European grassroots sport, has reached another major milestone. As part of the project, the German Sport University conducted a scientific study to provide insights into the situation of women and LGBT+ people in organized grassroots sport in Europe.
Aim of the research project
The aim of the research was to identify the gender norms and stereotypes prevalent in organized sport and to understand their impact on experiences of discrimination and the exclusion of girls, women and LGBT+ people in grassroots sport.
Sample/respondents
The study surveyed 2,832 people working in organized grassroots sport, including athletes, coaches, board members and volunteers. The sample includes respondents from Europe with a focus on people from Germany, Austria, Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy. Three quarters of participants identify as heterosexual and almost 95% as cis.
Central results
The study examined various factors at a societal, organizational and individual level that represent challenges and barriers to the participation of girls, women and LGBT+ people in organized sport. The key findings of the study are presented below:
- 77% to 84% of respondents think that there are attitudes and behaviors in sport that discriminate against and disadvantage women, lesbian/bisexual women, gay/bisexual men and trans/inter/non-binary people.
- While progress has been made on gender equality (79%), significantly fewer sports organizations are committed to equality in the context of sexual orientation (56%) and gender identity (43%). 4 out of 10 organizations (40%) use inclusive language and share information on the anti-discrimination policy embedded in the association, while only a quarter have an anti-discrimination office.
- Discriminatory language observed: In the past year, respondents have witnessed sexist (46%), homophobic (28%) and trans-hostile language (16%) during their sporting activities. Between 10% and 29% of respondents also observed other forms of discrimination outside of language.
- Around 10% of respondents had personally experienced negative incidents in their main sports, including sexist and homophobic comments, unfair treatment and even physical violence.
- 9% of respondents feel excluded from specific sports they would like to participate in because of their gender, sexual orientation or gender identity. As with the findings on personal negative experiences, trans* and non-binary athletes are particularly vulnerable, although cis people are also affected (9% of cis women feel excluded from certain sports).
Further information, in-depth insights and results can be found in the full report and the infographics.