Posted on May 12, 2008 |
by Neena Chaudhry, Senior Counsel
National Women’s Law Center
A new report by the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport reveals how far we still have to go to help girls become and stay physically active. The health and well-being of future generations of girls depends on it.
The report shows that girls’ participation in all types of physical activities consistently lags behind that of boys. While girls’ participation in organized sports is at a record high, we know that they still receive only 41 percent of the opportunities to play high school sports and do not receive equal benefits when they do play. And according to the report, girls’ participation outside of organized sports is declining, especially for black girls. One-third of girls are barely meeting minimum physical activity standards and another third are completely sedentary.
Perhaps what is most troubling, though, is that despite the increase in the number of amazing female role models, gender stereotypes and norms persist in limiting girls’ participation in sports and physical activity. Research shows that boys’ popularity depends directly on their physical ability but girls’ participation in sports is somehow at odds with their femininity. The media doesn’t help, with its excessive focus on female athletes’ appearance and sexuality. Girls, who are already struggling with their self-esteem and body image, get the message loud and clear that their outward appearance is what is really important, instead of the multitude of physical and mental health benefits that physical activity provides. And overweight and obese girls face particularly harsh discrimination and ridicule, which is awful and only compounds the problem.
We must do something to improve this dire situation, and the report suggests a requirement for daily, quality K-12 physical education in schools, among other policy recommendations. Greater enforcement of Title IX is also sorely needed and would help encourage more girls to play school-sponsored sports. Finally, leading by example can go a long way towards erasing the gender stereotypes that limit such behavior. So let’s all get moving!
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Comments
The fact that girls receive
The fact that girls receive only 41 percent of the opportunities to play high school sports is documented by the National Federation of State High School Associations, and it is simply false that girls have twice as many opportunities as boys. Moreover, claiming that girls are not as interested in playing sports as are boys is exactly the kind of stereotype that Title IX was enacted to combat. The courts have held that you cannot measure interest apart from opportunity, and history has shown that if you build it, they will come.
One more example of people
One more example of people misleading others by false statistics. Obviously the person writing the original article is not familiar with the scientific method and data analysis. If this is the case (as I suspect) then the individual writing the article should not be commenting on things they have no concept of.
On the other hand you have given me an example to use in my class of how people misrepresent data to suit their objectives.
First lets start with the
First lets start with the facts. Girls do not have 41% of the opportunities in sports. They in fact have twice as many opportunities as the boys. The problem is they don't participate at the same rate that boys do. I'm not sure if you misunderstand the word "opportunities" or if you are specifically trying to mislead people.
Just because girls don't play doesn't mean they can't play. I have the opportunity to wear a skirt every day to work if I so chose, but I don't so the proportion of men in skirts is very low. Now, if we were governed by Title IX, we'd be forced to tell the women that only certain ones could wear skirts.
How about this to encourage girls to play sports - apply Title IX controls to fine arts. Maybe if the girls aren't allowed to come out for dance, acting, and singing because there aren't enough boys for proportions, they'll have nothing to do but join sports.
Well that or they or be blocked out of the extra curriculars that they WANT to do, becoming more detached from the school community - but Title IX doesn't care about that when it happens to the boys so I'm sure it will be fine if it would happen to the girls.. right?
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