In most cases, women’s sport attracts less funding than men’s. At a community level, girls’ teams attract less sponsorship from local businesses because they do not have large supporter bases. There is also a huge gap in training programs and scholarships offered to women in sports and the result of this funding gap includes, but is not limited to, poorer facilities and availability of equipment, lack of transport, safety, all resulting in decreased participation.
The gap in funding in terms of financial security
The women cricketers in India in the top brackets earn only 7% of what their male counterparts do. While players from the men’s cricket team receive 1-7 crore rupees annually while the women’s team gets Rs 10-50 lakh rupees, this is an improvement from before, where many female cricketers had to work other jobs. Due to the lack of financial security, a lot of female players are uncertain of losing interest and forfeiting sports.
According to Indian footballer Dalima Chibber, women’s football lacks financial security and support and it is hard for them to sustain from the money they get by playing. Most of the players are working side jobs which hampers training. Since some players are working, getting holidays sanctioned by the firms each time they aim to practice is hard. Having to work a second job is not something male players have to do, and that is a crucial factor in their performance. We need more funding for female athletes so that they have the ability to focus on the sport.
Travel
Traveling to and from venues for sports or physical activity can present particular barriers for these groups. Women and girls cannot play sports if they cannot get access to the necessary facilities. Training facilities aren't available that commonly and sportswomen need more training facilities and they require more funding for safe travel to those training centers.
Facilities
The US women's football team had to play on artificial turf as compared to men who play on grass, even at the world cup, even after the female team proved to be much more successful than the men's team. This is particularly harmful as playing on artificial turfs have a larger chance of injury. For community-level sports, most female athletes do not have regular access to any proper grounds suitable for their sport.
Sports halls prioritize male sport when it comes to pitching time so that men and boys get facilities at their preferred times, while women and girls have to make do with less convenient times. Access can be limited by physical barriers such as inaccessible entrances, reception areas, and changing rooms at sports facilities. Childcare, too, should be provided so that women can bring their children to training venues without hesitation.
Equipment
Specialized coaching centers, training programs, and equipment that are suitable for women athletes are not present adequately. Low income families may not be able to afford to invest in club membership or pay for sports clothing and equipment. Mothers from low income families are unlikely to be able to afford childcare to give them the time to take part in sports.
Other than that, there are a few more concerns like personal safety on the streets, in public transport, and in and around sports and community venues, safety against abusive language and behavior, especially for women from minority communities, and the poorer class.
In order to provide women the opportunity to excel in sports, they need the funding to get rid of the obstacles men don't have to face. They need and deserve equal opportunities.
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