The Biggest Barriers Women Athletes Still Face Today

While women’s sports have made significant strides over the past few decades, female athletes continue to face numerous barriers that hinder their progress, visibility, and opportunities. From pay disparities and unequal media coverage to institutional challenges and cultural norms, these obstacles persist despite growing recognition of women’s achievements in sports.

This article highlights the most pressing barriers women athletes face today, exploring their impact and the ongoing efforts to overcome them.

1. Pay Disparities: The Gender Wage Gap in Sports

One of the most prominent barriers for women athletes remains the stark disparity in pay between male and female athletes, even in the same sports. Despite achieving similar or greater success, women continue to earn significantly less in salaries, prize money, and endorsements.

Examples of Pay Inequality

In soccer, the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) has fought for equal pay despite winning four FIFA Women’s World Cup titles and achieving far more success than the U.S. Men’s National Team. Their landmark 2022 settlement was a step forward, but disparities remain globally.
In basketball, players in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) earn a fraction of what their NBA counterparts make. The WNBA’s average salary is approximately $130,000, compared to the NBA’s $9.6 million.

Why It Persists

Revenue generated by men’s leagues is often cited as justification for the wage gap, yet women’s leagues are rarely given the same investment or marketing opportunities to grow.
Sponsorship deals and endorsements also favor male athletes, leaving women with fewer opportunities to secure lucrative partnerships.

Impact: Pay inequality not only devalues the achievements of women athletes but also discourages participation and limits career sustainability.

Key Insight: Addressing the gender wage gap requires increased investment, media visibility, and sponsorship support for women’s sports to drive revenue and close the disparity.

2. Unequal Media Coverage and Exposure

Media coverage of women’s sports remains disproportionately low compared to men’s sports, limiting visibility, fan engagement, and commercial opportunities.

Statistics

A 2021 study found that women’s sports receive only 4% of total sports media coverage globally, despite growing interest and success in major tournaments.
Major networks and platforms prioritize men’s leagues, with prime-time slots rarely allocated to women’s competitions.

Why Media Coverage Matters

Media visibility drives fan interest, sponsorship opportunities, and ticket sales, creating a cycle of growth for sports leagues.
Limited exposure hinders the ability of female athletes to build personal brands and secure endorsements, which are vital sources of income.

Example: Events like the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup proved the potential for women’s sports when given proper media coverage, drawing over 1.12 billion viewers globally.

Impact: Unequal media representation perpetuates gender stereotypes, reduces audience engagement, and stunts the financial growth of women’s sports.

Key Insight: Media outlets must commit to equitable coverage of women’s sports to amplify their visibility, foster fan engagement, and drive sponsorship opportunities.

3. Lack of Investment and Sponsorship

Despite growing success and fan interest, women’s sports continue to face underinvestment compared to men’s leagues, limiting opportunities for growth, infrastructure, and athlete development.

Sponsorship Gaps

Global sponsorship spending for women’s sports remains disproportionately low, despite evidence that women’s events deliver strong returns on investment.
Brands often hesitate to invest in women’s leagues due to outdated perceptions about profitability and audience interest.

Infrastructure and Development

Women’s teams often lack access to the same training facilities, coaching staff, and medical support available to male athletes.
Grassroots programs for young girls remain underfunded, limiting opportunities for talent development and participation.

Example: In professional soccer, while leagues like the FA Women’s Super League (WSL) have made strides, clubs still face funding challenges that hinder their ability to compete on equal footing with men’s teams.

Impact: Limited investment prevents women’s sports from reaching their full potential, stifling opportunities for players, teams, and leagues to grow.

Key Insight: Increasing investment in women’s sports infrastructure and securing dedicated sponsorships are critical to building sustainable and competitive leagues.

4. Institutional Barriers and Governance Issues

Institutional challenges within sports organizations often hinder progress in women’s sports, including inadequate policies, governance biases, and lack of representation in leadership positions.

Underrepresentation in Leadership

Women remain underrepresented in coaching, executive roles, and sports governance, leading to decision-making processes that fail to prioritize women’s sports.
A 2022 report found that only 24% of global sports leadership roles are held by women.

Inequitable Policies

Unequal prize money, tournament structures, and scheduling continue to favor men’s competitions. For example, women’s tournaments are often relegated to less prominent venues or time slots.
Sports organizations have historically failed to address issues like harassment, gender discrimination, and safety concerns for female athletes.

Example: During the 2021 NCAA Basketball Championships, stark differences between the men’s and women’s facilities highlighted systemic inequities, sparking outrage and calls for change.

Impact: Institutional barriers perpetuate inequalities and limit opportunities for women to compete, succeed, and shape the future of sports.

Key Insight: Prioritizing gender diversity in leadership and enforcing equitable policies will help dismantle systemic barriers and drive progress for women’s sports.

5. Cultural Norms and Gender Stereotypes

Societal attitudes and cultural expectations continue to pose significant barriers for women athletes, particularly in regions where traditional gender roles are deeply entrenched.

Stereotypes About Women’s Sports

Women athletes often face stereotypes questioning their physical abilities, competitiveness, and legitimacy as professional athletes.
Media narratives sometimes focus more on appearance than athletic achievements, undermining female athletes’ credibility.

Cultural Restrictions

In certain parts of the world, cultural norms limit women’s participation in sports, either through societal pressure, lack of family support, or restricted access to facilities.
Female athletes who challenge these norms often face backlash, discrimination, or exclusion from competitions.

Example: Athletes like Kimia Alizadeh from Iran and Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir have broken barriers by challenging cultural restrictions, but their journeys highlight the ongoing struggles faced by women in conservative societies.

Impact: Cultural norms and stereotypes limit participation, access, and opportunities for women athletes, particularly in developing regions.

Key Insight: Changing societal attitudes and promoting positive role models are critical to breaking down cultural barriers and encouraging gender equality in sports.

6. Limited Access to Resources and Facilities

Access to proper training facilities, equipment, and support systems remains a major barrier for women athletes, particularly in developing nations or underserved regions.

Training Facilities

Many women’s teams are forced to train in subpar facilities compared to their male counterparts, with outdated equipment, limited availability, and inadequate space.
In some cases, women’s leagues must share venues with men’s teams, often receiving less desirable training times and conditions.

Financial Constraints

Female athletes often struggle with limited funding for essentials such as travel, coaching, nutrition, and medical care.
In developing countries, economic constraints exacerbate these challenges, leaving women athletes with few resources to reach their full potential.

Example: In African nations like Nigeria and Kenya, women’s soccer and athletics programs lack access to modern facilities, despite producing world-class athletes.

Impact: Without proper facilities and financial support, female athletes face systemic disadvantages that hinder their ability to compete at elite levels.

Key Insight: Equal investment in training infrastructure, financial resources, and elite-level support systems is essential to ensuring women athletes have the tools to succeed.

7. Safety and Harassment Issues

Safety concerns, including harassment and abuse, are persistent barriers that affect women athletes at all levels. Inadequate protections and lack of accountability within sports organizations exacerbate these issues.

Harassment and Abuse

Female athletes are disproportionately affected by harassment and abuse from coaches, teammates, or officials.
A lack of reporting mechanisms and fear of retaliation prevent many women from speaking out.

Example: High-profile cases like the U.S. Gymnastics abuse scandal involving Larry Nassar underscored the systemic failure of institutions to protect female athletes.

Travel Safety

Women athletes, especially in developing nations, face safety risks when traveling to competitions, including inadequate accommodations and lack of secure transportation.

Impact: Safety issues not only harm individual athletes but also deter participation, erode trust in institutions, and damage the reputation of women’s sports.

Key Insight: Implementing strict policies, establishing safe reporting channels, and holding abusers accountable are critical steps to ensuring the safety of women athletes.

8. Inequity in Sponsorship and Endorsements

Sponsorship opportunities are a significant source of income for athletes, yet women continue to receive far fewer endorsements than their male counterparts.

Lack of Visibility Hurts Sponsorship

Limited media coverage directly impacts sponsorship deals, as brands are less likely to invest in athletes with minimal visibility.
Even in sports where women excel—such as tennis and athletics—endorsement deals for female athletes remain unequal.

Example: In 2021, tennis star Naomi Osaka became the highest-paid female athlete, earning $60 million—still far below the earnings of the top male athletes.

Gendered Marketing

Female athletes are often marketed based on appearance rather than athletic ability, reinforcing stereotypes and undervaluing their accomplishments.
Brands that focus on performance, resilience, and skill (such as Nike’s campaigns with Serena Williams) have proven the marketability of women athletes.

Impact: Inequitable sponsorship opportunities limit earning potential for women athletes, reducing their financial stability and career longevity.

Key Insight: Brands and sponsors must recognize the commercial potential of women’s sports, prioritizing skill, success, and impact over outdated marketing strategies.

9. Insufficient Representation in Coaching and Leadership

The underrepresentation of women in coaching, refereeing, and leadership roles within sports organizations perpetuates inequalities in women’s sports.

The Lack of Female Coaches

Despite growing participation in women’s sports, female coaches remain a minority in many leagues and sports programs.
This underrepresentation deprives women athletes of mentorship and role models who understand their experiences and needs.

Example: In the NCAA, only 41% of women’s college teams are coached by women, a significant decline from the 1970s when women held most coaching positions in female sports.

Leadership Gaps

Women hold fewer decision-making roles in sports organizations, which can deprive women’s sports of advocates who prioritize equity, funding, and representation.
Greater gender diversity in leadership has been shown to drive better policies, fairer treatment, and increased investment in women’s programs.

Impact: Increasing representation in coaching and leadership creates pathways for mentorship, growth, and advocacy, empowering women athletes on and off the field.

Key Insight: Encouraging female representation in leadership positions ensures women’s voices are heard, driving meaningful progress in sports governance.

Overcoming These Barriers: The Path Forward

While the barriers women athletes face are significant, ongoing efforts from individuals, organizations, and society offer hope for change. Addressing these challenges requires collective action and a commitment to equity at all levels.

Key Solutions

Equal Pay and Investment: Federations, leagues, and sponsors must commit to equal pay, prize money, and investment in infrastructure to create a sustainable ecosystem for women’s sports.
Increased Media Coverage: Media outlets should prioritize coverage of women’s events, creating visibility that drives fan engagement, sponsorship, and commercial success.
Safe and Inclusive Environments: Implementing zero-tolerance policies for harassment and creating safe reporting mechanisms will protect women athletes and encourage participation.
Representation in Leadership: Sports organizations must prioritize hiring women in coaching, executive, and governance roles to ensure decisions reflect the needs of women’s sports.
Challenging Cultural Norms: Grassroots programs and awareness campaigns can challenge stereotypes, promote participation, and empower young girls to pursue sports.

Conclusion: Breaking Barriers, Building Opportunities

Women athletes have proven time and again that they possess the talent, determination, and resilience to excel at the highest levels. Yet systemic barriers—ranging from pay disparities and unequal media coverage to cultural restrictions and safety concerns—continue to hinder their progress.

By addressing these challenges through investment, representation, and societal change, the sports industry can unlock the full potential of women athletes, creating a more inclusive and equitable future. As visibility grows, women’s sports will inspire not only the next generation of athletes but also a global audience ready to embrace the power, skill, and excellence of women in sports.