Published
Our work with women and girls has uncovered that at every life stage they face negative attitudes and discriminatory behaviours from some boys and men, whether conscious or unconscious.
From the playground to the pitch, from the workforce to the boardroom, women and girls are being excluded and it’s time for change. If we are to succeed in changing the narrative around girls in sport we need to change the narrative around boys. Because this is where it all starts.
In this research, we explore what influences the attitudes and behaviours of primary aged boys towards girls in sport. This research shows that stereotyping is still alive and kicking. Adults continue to unknowingly pass down stereotypes that can have negative consequences for both girls and boys.
We discovered that ‘sportiness’ is still seen as a fundamental part of a boy’s identity from a young age. With this, boys are finding it hard to break free from the expectation that to be masculine they must be good at sport, strong and dominant.
This stereotyping not only creates a negative environment for those boys who don’t like sport, but critically it excludes girls from sport. Male dominated environments in sport, a lack of positive male role models and the invisibility of women and girls in the community and in media, further contribute to boys perceptions that girls don’t belong in sport.
My uncle said that I have to be 10 times better than girls.
We believe that by tackling the causes early at a young age, there is great opportunity to increase young children’s understanding, empathy and acceptance, to create a more respectful, level playing field in sport.
Boys, and the men they will become, can be agents of change for girls and women in sport, and in life. We must challenge limiting gender stereotypes and break down the traditional masculine culture in sport that nurtures negative attitudes and behaviours to girls and women.
Here’s how:
Find out more in our guides for Parents, Teachers or Coaches or by downloading the report below.
Families are all different but are united by being the first and most important influence in a child's life. This guide will help you challenge accepted norms, tackle the gender play gap and champion the value of sport for all.
In sport, girls are limited by stereotypes that stifle their joy, prevent them from learning skills and steal their self-belief. Find out how you can prevent stereotyping in your primary school today.
Community sport can be a home from home for girls as well as boys. With the right opportunities, role models and experiences a girl can build a lifelong love of sport.
Our latest research shows that boys as young as five have already learnt that sport is not for girls. Let's debunk this myth and raise the next generation of Mini Allies.
