As women, the society that we live in heavily affects our ideas of what is possible—and what is not. This is particularly the case in the entertainment industry—for instance, in sports coverage. Male athletes still take up a large amount of the spotlight, and the lack of visibility of female athletes makes it harder for young girls to aspire to compete at career-level. This usually comes with structural disadvantages, which are present in Oxford as well. Colleges tend to have men’s football teams for each college, whereas women’s teams are mostly joint, such as Jesus-New or Somerville-Exeter. In addition to sexual allusions, the nickname “Sexville” shows a lack of seriousness in representation of a women’s sports team. It suggests not only structural, but also societal disadvantages for women who want to pursue (competitive) sports.
These are just a few of the many reasons why it is important to report on women’s sports. The road to equality in sports media coverage is certainly long. But in light of recent developments, I also want to show you how we might be on the right trajectory.
Did you know it was only in 2018 that The Telegraph implemented a women’s sports section? Shocking? Well, most newspapers don’t have such a section at all. Looking at the sports section of The Times’ website section this morning (February 2025), only seven out of 53 articles feature women—a result of a vicious cycle between a lack of female athletes and their representation. Even though this inequality is also present in other fields, such as broadcasting, there are a few good reasons to keep our heads high.
There were several key events in the last few years that have put women’s sports on the map. Next to individual phenomena, such as Caitlin Clark or Ilona Maher, international competitions have made a strong contribution towards the prominence of women’s sports. According to the UN Women, an organisation for gender equality, “Audiences of female sports are booming. The FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 was the most viewed women’s sports event in history with a global audience of nearly 2 billion viewers.” This is almost half of the Men’s World Cup numbers, at an estimated five billion.
According to The Women’s Sports Trust, “people in the UK are watching more women’s sports than ever before on TV, with [the] average time spent watching increasing by 28% and total viewing hours increasing by 19%, year on year.” Such a large audience is a promising phenomenon, considering the FA banned women’s football in the UK for over fifty years. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go, and we should continue to read, write and report on women’s football and other sports, to encourage it. By making it an integral part of our everyday lives, we can ensure lasting visibility for women as elite athletes.
We should also consider the effect of female athletes on their fans, especially as role models for young people. A Stormont Assembly research paper stated that “the lack of female sporting role models has contributed to the perception that sport is unfeminine, resulting in the tendency for girls and women to drop out of sport and physical activity, reinforcing a lack of interest in women’s elite sport.” This paper shows that it is not just a handful of elite athletes who are disadvantaged by insufficient visibility; the problem has far-reaching negative effects on the everyday health and life of girls and women.
On a more positive note, female sports role models are increasingly finding their way into the spotlight. Yet, as they ascend, they face more difficulties than their male colleagues, from impossible body images to sexual harassment. This is not to say that male athletes cannot have similar experiences. The problem is that female athletes go through this because they are women. Developments such as these are rooted deeply in our patriarchal society and we have to take action if we want to see change. Encouragement of women’s sports (in media) could be a first step.
In terms of taking action, there are several organisations that promote research and systematic support of women’s sports. One example of this is The Women’s Sports Trust, a charity focusing on the visibility of women’s sports and individual accessibility opportunities. As well as encouraging young girls to play sports, access to facilities and athletic training also play an important role. They can make dreams of athletic careers more accessible, and boost young girls’ confidence. Another institution with this aim is situated here in Oxford!—Velocity is a “full-time educational academy that combines football and sports business with academia.” Offering more young women opportunities and support towards pursuing a career as elite athletes increases representation, promoting a positive feedback loop of participating in sports.
There are many reasons why we should read, watch, and report more on women’s sports. Dismantling the patriarchy and contributing to young girls’ health at the same time—who could say no to that? And of course (we must be fair), I think that women’s sports are often more exciting than men’s!