Gender equality in sports must be addressed in many ways, including equal access to funding and investments, and training and coaching that supports gender justice. Providing a safe sporting environment, ensuring robust safeguarding policies and prioritizing survivor-focused, trauma-informed responses are also crucial. Policymakers and those in leadership roles should raise awareness of gender issues in sport, by highlighting the need for change and championing women’s voices, particularly those who have experienced violence.

Historically, male dominance in sport has been justified by the notion of physical strength and power, but such a narrative is no longer valid. The current social and economic changes in society mean that men are no longer at the centre of most activities, which includes sports. However, this does not mean that the need for ideological gender difference in sports has disappeared.

The argument that women’s sport generates less interest and ticket sales is a common one, and it can be used to justify paying female athletes less than men. However, it ignores that there are many factors that influence sports audience and fandoms, and simply assumes that women’s sports do not have the same appeal as men’s (e.g., a perception of ‘female’ sports being ‘boring’ or ‘unwatchable’).

In a recent article in the American Journal of Law and Equality, Kimberly Yuracko argues that sex-segregated sports categories are best for girls at recreational and early childhood levels because they allow them to receive basic benefits such as physical health and character building without having to compete with boys. She argues that the inclusion of transgender girls and women in these sports does not hinder such goals at higher levels, as long as appropriate policies are put in place.