2026-10-10

Safe sports for girls

Young female athletes are impressing with fine medals in various championships. At the same time, the situation is worrying. There is a dark side that is rarely mentioned: injuries, harassment and health problems. The conditions of sport are designed for the male anatomy, which exposes girls to risks of various kinds. We need to understand these factors better and design sport to girls' conditions.

A 2020 study shows that physical abuse and abuse in figure skating can lead to menstrual disorders, osteoporosis, weakened immune systems, sleep and eating disorders. Other studies show that gymnasts train despite injury symptoms and pain. The culture of silence is widespread as young people have a great passion for their sport as a sport and an art form.

Sport can also be an environment where transgressive behavior, abuse of power, and sexual harassment occur as a result of dependence and abuse of power by coaches. A study on equestrian sports shows that 55 percent of practitioners have been subjected to harassment or abuse in an equestrian environment.

Many girls experience that their sports are valued less; poorer training times, less access to coaches, materials and medical expertise. The risks in girls' sports differ from the male norm and knowledge about these problems needs to increase in order to have healthier and safer female athletes. The sports movement must now take girls' vulnerability in sports seriously.

Zonta International District 21