The world of sport should be a place where everyone feels welcome and free to participate without having to face prejudice, discrimination, harassment, or abuse. Gender equality in sports can be promoted by educating people about gender stereotypes, supporting women athletes who are being discriminated against or harassed, and raising awareness on the importance of equal opportunities for men and women to enjoy sport. Collaborative organisations and the media can make a difference by promoting women’s sports, and encouraging journalists to cover women’s sport in an equitable manner.

Efforts to achieve gender parity in sports must be pursued in a strategic manner by sporting organisations and governing bodies like the International Olympic Committee. This includes ensuring equal pay for female and male athletes, introducing flexible working arrangements, and addressing sexism in the sport media.

Addressing the perception that men are better athletes than women is crucial to making progress on gender equality in sports. When this perception is widespread, it can contribute to violence against women in the sport arena, as well as non-inclusive and sexist sports policies.

The Special Eurobarometer 525 (2022) provides an overview of Europeans’ attitudes towards gender equality in sports. The article explores the geographical, social and political differences in Europe on this issue, identifying the main determinants using latent profile analysis and multinomial logistic regression. A key finding is that the Nordic countries are ahead of the rest in terms of positive attitudes towards GE in sport.