Policy and practices in school sport: gender inequalities after 10 years of democracy

Contemporary South African Sport has been said to be gender-biased, male dominated and sexist (Roberts, 1993; Hargreaves and Jones, 2001). Ninety percent of school sports coaches are affiliated to an organization called the United School Sport Association of South Africa (USSASA) (Hendricks, 2002). School sport is viewed as the nursery for sports federations (National Policy on Sport and Recreation, 1995). In another policy on women and sport various reasons were offered for the lack of female participation in school sport. Objectives and strategies were formulated for addressing this problem (Western Cape Policy on Women and Girls in Sport and Recreation, 1997). Although the policy was launched in 1997, few resources have been allocated for the implementation thereof. The aim of this study was to explore the understandings that USSASA affiliated school sports coaches have of the reasons for the increasing number of young women not involved in school sport compared to their male. Three focus group discussions were held with 8-10 participants in each group to formulate questions for the design of a survey questionnaire that was distributed nationally to USSASA coaches. Two follow-up focus groups were held for clarification and further exploration. Specific objectives included: (a) Meanings attached to school sport by female learners; (b) Views about how social, cultural and religious issues contribute to the gendering of school sport; and (c) Recommendations for transforming gender inequalities in school sports’ structures and practices? The findings support the claim about the gender-biasness of school sport. Various reasons were offered. Reasons were offered why more male learners play sport than females. Various ways in which USSASA coaches can address the needs of female learners were proffered and recommendations included: (a) changing the mind-set of coaches; (b) focus on participation not winning; (c) provide more sports development programmes for female learners; and (d) develop an inclusive policy on school sport.

References

Hargreaves. J.A. and Jones. D. South Africa (2001) In K. Christensen. A. Guttman and G. Pfister (Eds). International Encyclopedia of Women and Sports. pp. 395-402. New York Macmillan Library
National Policy on Sport and Recreation. The Department of Sport and Recreation Pretoria: South Africa (1995)
Roberts, C . (1993a). Against the Grain : Women and Sport in South Africa. Cape Town: Township Publishing.
Western Cape Policy on Women and Girls in Sport and Recreation. Commissioned by the Department of Sport and Recreation: Western Cape (1997)