Gender and Discrimination: A Study About Female Athletes

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate gender and discrimination among Iranian female athletes. Method: This research was conducted using grounded theory with a structuralist approach of Charmaz (2006). The theoretical and purposive sampling methods were used to conduct in-depth interviews. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews until theoretical saturation was reached with 15 women and girls aged 19 to 55 who exercised professionally or recreationally. In this way, coding was used in three stages, including primary coding, theoretical coding, and centralized coding.Results: Finally, 91 primary codes were extracted, of which 15 codes were centralized and, finally two theoretical codes of gender discrimination, and stereotypes were obtained. The results showed that the existence of issues such as gender patterns in the segregation of sports disciplines, patriarchal culture in sports, media avoidance of women's sports, and inequality in women's sports investment have led to gender discrimination in women's sports.Conclusion: The findings showed that gender discrimination and stereotypes affect the development of women's sports. By examining social norms and attitudes, it is possible to understand how these biases limit women's progress in sports. Considering the need to improve the status of women's sports and increase their participation, research in this field can identify the existing barriers and provide solutions to improve the conditions.

Gender and Discrimination: A Study About Female Athletes Keywords:

Gender stereotypes , Social norms , Media and women , Gender segregation , Patriarchal culture