Covid-19 pandemic ‘exposed’ gender inequalities in sport, new study reveals

A new study has revealed how the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted inequalities in the treatment of women’s sports. Published two weeks ago, “Exposing force: the Covid-19 pandemic and women’s sport in Ireland during 2020–2021” is the work of Dr Seán Crosson of the University of Galway and independent researcher Maedhbh Ní Chumhaill and uses data largely gathered from women footballers and camogie players.

Dr Crosson has already collaborated with Dr Marcus Free (Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick) on two papers about the GAA and Covid.

The title of the new paper comes from an article in The Irish Times by Una Mullally from August 2020, addressing how injustices in Irish society had been exposed by the pandemic.

The authors explain.

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“Here we borrow the term ‘exposing force’ to trace how the pandemic served to highlight neglected weaknesses and inequalities with regard to the structures and supports available to facilitate women’s sport in Ireland compared to men’s equivalent sports... the pandemic also revealed structural and ongoing issues with regard to the manner in which women’s sports in particular are facilitated and promoted, including in Ireland.”

The findings are based on a survey conducted between June and July 2021 – the second year of the pandemic – among 194 women athletes across the island, primarily involved in women’s football and camogie and, to a lesser extent, rugby and hockey and “are in line with broader findings made internationally regarding the unequal treatment of female athletes during the Covid-19 pandemic”.

Twenty-eight per cent of respondents are involved at an elite level whereas the other 72 per cent participate at a more recreational level.

Among the findings are that “64 per cent of respondents did not believe that women’s sport in Ireland had fair recognition during the pandemic”.

Similar concerns were evident from respondents with regard to sponsorship or funding available to women’s sport in Ireland during the pandemic, with 75 per cent disagreeing (or strongly disagreeing) with the statement that “women’s sport in Ireland has sufficient sponsorship/funding”.

Respondents were also asked their opinion with regard to media coverage during the pandemic, and again more than 75 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement that “women’s sport in Ireland had adequate media coverage”.

[ Our sporting bodies were set up not just for men, but for a very definite type of man ]

However, more than 50 per cent of respondents (despite the concerns raised in responses to earlier questions) agreed or strongly agreed that women’s sport “is currently in a positive position”, and 88 per cent were happy with the return-to-play process after the pandemic.

Some 55 per cent of respondents did not believe that women’s teams were treated fairly and equally in their club, with unequal access to the same quality pitches a matter of considerable concern.

While respondents agreed (47 per cent) or strongly agreed (6 per cent) that women’s sport was in a more positive position before the pandemic, when asked about media coverage for women in sport at the time of the survey and before the pandemic, only 1 per cent of respondents strongly agreed that it was adequate.

There was, however, acknowledgment by some respondents that TG4′s coverage of women’s football, both Gaelic and Australian Rules, had “increased exposure”, although others “highlighted their frustrations with the scarcity of media coverage of female sport”.

Respondents had mixed views on the implications of the pandemic for the future of women’s sport. There was acknowledgment of the Government commitment during Covid to establish equality between men’s and women’s funding.

“A major concern was that when sport returned women would be in a subordinate position once again and that major efforts will need to be made to ensure women and girls are encouraged to return to sport. However, some athletes had high hopes that the pandemic awakened people to the importance of sport and its centrality to communities, and the importance of parity of funding for sports engaged in by both male and female athletes.”

The conclusion to the paper notes positive developments since the survey, such as the integration process between the GAA and the two women’s associations, currently being chaired by former president Mary McAleese.

“While increased funding and the merger of these representative associations may have happened in time, these developments are unlikely to have happened as quickly as they did were it not for the ‘exposing force’ of the Covid-19 pandemic of the unequal treatment of women’s sport in Ireland.”