New study: women still severely underrepresented in sports

40,000 articles in Austrian media were combed through. 15,000 of them in print media, where only 15 percent of the reporting falls on women. At least around 3 percentage points more than 2020when the first such study was carried out.

In an international comparison, Austria is not an outlier. However, the studies from other countries have so far been much smaller than the gender balance study by Media Affairs and exploristas and the comparative figures are therefore low.

Click here for the entire study

Positive developments

There was also a positive development on the front pages: If Sports on page 1 was visible, then at least it was in 26 percent of cases a woman to see.

During the Olympic Games By the way, it was different. There were almost equal reports about women and men, says Maria Perneggerthe managing director of Media Affairs. Overall, the media is 50:50 “grotesquely far away”.

When it comes to the social media presence of the Austrian media, the discrepancy is even greater. 88 percent of the 23,000 posts examined by media companies on social media focus on male athletes. Overall, the interactions among women would even be higher than among men.

Improved staging

Be in print Athletes in action significantly more often shown as women. Trivialization still happens more than twice as often as in men, but significantly less than in the last study in 2020. Also Sexualization is still part of sports coverage about women.

Reporting creates interest, says Maria Pernegger, the media observer sees the structures and framework conditions in sport and society as a reason for inequality. More visibility of female athletes increases awareness and can also trigger hype. So that euphoria that also attracts the next generation. A lack of visibility has a negative impact on financial opportunities – for example when it comes to finding sponsors.

“Sport is a mirror of society,” said Sports State Secretary Michaela Schmidt at the study presentation. “Sport is still a male domain in many areas,” she says, addressing coaches, officials and reporting. Austria supports women’s leagues and promotes them Gender Trainee Program the plan to bring more women into sport – including in coaching and official positions.

Sport Austria boss Hans Niessl admits: “We have to work on our society and ensure that women get the same pay for the same work and that women are given a higher status in sport.” A sports strategy is needed in which women’s sports have a “real importance”.

Also Austria’s most famous track and field athlete, Victoria Hudsonthe topic is very moving. “I’m happy that there’s more talk about it,” says the javelin thrower. But we still have a “long process” ahead of us. She outlines what media presence means for female athletes (more sponsors, financial support), but also what effect it has on young girls who see that sport is an option for them too. “There is no shortage of stories and personalities. There is just as much to say about women. There is no shortage of great female athletes.”

The study authors see a reason for the discrepancy long learned traditionsbut also in the composition of sports editorial teams. Two thirds of sports coverage In Austria comes from male editors. Only 3% of women. 13% of editors write about female athletes, 38% of female editors.

However, Pernegger emphasizes that media are only part of the structures and framework conditions. “If the economy, the associations and sports policy don’t lead the way, how are we supposed to achieve greater visibility?” says Pernegger and calls for a joint effort. The study is not intended to point fingers, but rather to create awareness and initiate a discourse that ideally leads to improvement, says Pernegger.

Inclusion is virtually non-existent

Athletes with disabilities can only be found in 0.8 percent of reporting instead of. At least there more balanced: 36% women, 64% men.

Para-Skirennläufer Elina Stary would “wish for more attention.” “It’s so exciting what we do. You could get a lot out of social media in particular. If no one knows about our sport, we won’t find any young people. Most children with disabilities only get into it by chance. I lacked a role model as a child.”