Damning report reveals scale of sexism in women’s sport

England Women v Italy Women (Picture: Steve)

Around 88 percent of women in sport have experienced sexual harassment in the last five years, according to a new report from the Women’s Sport Collective published on Wednesday.

Women’s Experiences of Sexual Misconduct Working in UK Elite Sport surveyed 260 people anonymously, including coaches, current and former athletes, physios and TV presenters.

Some 40 percent of respondents said they had experienced at least one form of sexual assault and 2 percent had been raped in a work-related context.

Mica, who played women’s rugby professionally, said the findings “don’t surprise me at all”.

“Sports are, generally speaking, very male dominated spaces,” she told Socialist Worker. “Even in women’s sports often the coaches and staff are all men.

“There’s this really sort of macho culture that creates a toxic environment. This bleeds into people’s behaviour and can make people really vulnerable.”

This macho attitude is reflected in the fact that 93 percent of the perpetrators of the sexual violence recorded are men. 

Mica explained that sexist attitudes combine with “a really warped idea of what performance is”. She said, “There’s almost this showbiz attitude that ‘the show must go on’ regardless of how you feel or what happens.”

“When you’re playing at that level, you’ll do anything. I know at that age I would’ve done anything to be able to play for England. It makes you incredibly vulnerable.”

The constant sense of competition can alienate athletes from each other. And coaches can come to see themselves as fully in control of the athletes and their bodies, always pushing them to the next level.

“The relationship between children and coaches, or with coaches in general, has a power dynamic,” she explained.

“There was definitely poor safeguarding. There was a bullying culture and a meanness from the coaches and the adults around us regardless of gender.”

Professional sports, especially when you’re in that environment from a young age, really puts “certain values on your body,” Mica said. 

“It affects your whole relationship with your body when it’s used almost as a tool for sports.”

Mica felt that “more safeguarding all the way throughout” is needed.

“We need more awareness of how we’re talking about and treating our bodies,” she said. “We need to change the whole environment that allows predatory behaviour.”