Exploring the Gender Disparity in Sports Participation: A Qualitative Analysis of Women's Limited Engagement in Sports in Bangladesh

Aklima Akter Tanni; Md. Masudul Islam Khan

doi:10.36923/ijsser.v6i1.249

Open Access Article Social Sciences Gender Studies

Aklima Akter Tanni ⁽¹⁾, Md. Masudul Islam Khan ⁽²⁾

(1) Department of Economics, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh,

(2) Department of Public Administration, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, , Bangladesh

https://doi.org/10.36923/ijsser.v6i1.249

Issue
Vol. 6 No. 1 (2024)

Submitted
January 13, 2024

Published
April 8, 2024

Keywords:

Sustainable Development Goals, Economic Inequality, Women's Empowerment, Women in Sports, Bangladesh

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Abstract

Gender equality is the subject of Sustainable Development Goal 5, one of the UN's 17 objectives. Assuring women's full and effective involvement and equitable opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life is the emphasis of SDG target 5.5. In Bangladesh, there is still a significant gender gap in sports participation, which limits women's access to physical activity, personal growth, and social empowerment, a major hindrance to achieving SDGs within 2030. In Bangladesh, there is still a significant gender gap in sports participation, which limits women's access to physical activity, personal growth, and social empowerment, a major hindrance to achieving SDGs within 2030. The research aims to uncover the socio-cultural, institutional, and psychological barriers hampering women's active sports involvement through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and content analysis. The study finds that traditional gender norms and societal expectations emerged as significant barriers to women's sports participation, and parental attitudes and support has been identified as major issues in enabling girls to participate in sports. Limited access to training facilities, coaching, and competitions specifically tailored for women hindered their progress, and the importance of mentors and role models was underscored throughout the study.

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Authors

Aklima Akter Tanni

Department of Economics, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology

https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9698-6527

Md. Masudul Islam Khan

Department of Public Administration, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology,

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5536-5363

masudul51@student.sust.edu (Primary Contact)

Tanni, A. A., & Khan, M. M. I. (2024). Exploring the Gender Disparity in Sports Participation: A Qualitative Analysis of Women’s Limited Engagement in Sports in Bangladesh. Innovation Journal of Social Sciences and Economic Review, 6(1), 43–51. https://doi.org/10.36923/ijsser.v6i1.249

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