Why is there a low participation of women in sports in Nigeria?

Answer 1

Physique:

Women are still viewed as the fairer, weaker sex and some sports are deemed too dangerous for them.

The 1928 Olympics cast doubt over women's ability to run the 800 metre race when several of them collapsed during that race.

This race was not re-instated as a women's race until the 1960 Olympics in Rome.

Four athletic events have remained closed to women until quite recently. They are the 3,000 metres, pole-vault, the hammer and the triple-jump.

Only triple-jump appeared at the Atlanta Games in 1996.

Social Attitudes:

Victorian attitudes that a woman's place is in the home continue to be prevalent even in today's society.

To be a top sportsperson you need to train for long hours, be psychologically tough, muscular and competitive. These characteristics are often seen as acceptable for men but not for women.

Role Models:

For boys there are many role models in a wide range of sports.

There are fewer role models for women.

Finance:

Sportswomen receive only a fraction of the sponsorship that sportsmen receive.

Prize money is very often less for women's events than men's.

Media Coverage:

There is less media coverage of women's sport than there is of men's sport and so the profile of women in sport continues to remain low.

There are fewer women involved in the media itself although there has been a more recent shift in this with presenters such as Sue Barker, covering more sporting events on TV.