Participation of girls and women in community sport in Ghana

Cultural and structural barriers

Bibliographic Data

ID2378836
AuthorsDerrick Charway (0000-0003-3885-7520, Department of Sport and Social Sciences, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway, corresponding author), Åse Strandbu (0000-0001-6209-5066, Department of Sport and Social Sciences, Norwegian School of Sports Sciences, Oslo, Norway)
Year2024
Volume59
Issue4
Pages559-578
Publication date2024-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Review for the Sociology of Sport (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1012-6902 • E-ISSN: 1461-7218
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/10126902231214955
OpenAlexW4388725161
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited42

Despite numerous international and national policy documents promoting girls' and women's empowerment and participation in community sports, the actual access to sport for women and girls is still restricted in several countries. This paper explores the situation in Ghana. Through the analytical lens of Cooky and Messner's theory of 'the unevenness of social change', we analyse the cultural and structural barriers that prevent girls and women from participating in sport in Ghanaian communities. The data material is document analysis, focus groups and semi-structured interviews with male and female officials representing state-funded regional and district sports organisations as well as non-state sports organisations in Ghana. The findings reveal that cultural barriers, rooted in deep-seated cultural norms and structural hindrances that undermine gender-inclusive policies, contribute to the limited participation of girls and women in community sport. Furthermore, the interplay between these cultural and structural factors leads to gender-specific practices and fewer women in leadership positions. Based on our analyses, we suggest that structural changes (enforcing and implementing gender policies) can result in cultural changes (positive gender equality outcomes) over time

Empowerment · Focus group · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts · Sports, Gender, and Society

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