‘It’s not a female problem to fix. It’s a societal problem to fix ’: Lisa Pool on the difference between men’s and women’s sport

From the Olympics to FA Football, women thrive within the sporting world despite setbacks due to funding, underrepresentation, discrimination and lack of opportunity.

Manchester Metropolitan University heard from a panel of experienced sports experts on Monday (2 March) to celebrate International Women’s Day.

“Your body is on the line but it’s also your success,” said Olympian Abigail Irozuru on how sport changed her life and career.

International Women’s Day is around the corner and with a vast amount of ordinary, expert, and professional women achieving insurmountable positive differences for the workplace, society, and young girls. It’s key to acknowledge the foundations that built our society today.

To appreciate the short but swift success women have had through the years, experts shared their struggles at breaking into the sporting world as an athlete, a doctor, and a sports developer. As well as how the world has begun to shift to a more promising, equal future. 

On the panel were Olympian long-jumper Abigail Irozuru, Doctor Qi Peng, deputy CEO of Women’s Football, Lisa Pool, and FA Coach Developer Claire Farnbank-Harrop.

Abigail Irozuru – long-jump Olympian in the 2012 Olympics – touched on the gap between training, funding, and support: “A big issue would be the funding. For example, there’s a lack of research into ACL injuries, which are different because a female’s body is different. There’s going to be that thought cycle of ‘Oh, the women’s games aren’t as good.’

“Well, the game isn’t as good potentially because you’ve not taught the women in the same way. They’re not getting the benefit of having the same physiotherapy and coaching support. And that’s then starting in the UK. Maybe there’s great women in the UK and the USA, but what about across the rest of the world?

“We forget the fact that the history of women’s games is so new compared to the men’s games across the board. So of course, it’s not going to have the same quality or calibre.

“Controversially, in my opinion, I say this with an understanding that I don’t know who’s in the room,” -continued Abigail- ” I don’t want to be hurtful in any way shape or form, but the transgender conversation is one that is very difficult for us to have as athletes, as coaches, as stakeholders, commercial partners, global and national governing bodies.

“But it’s one that needs to be had, and it needs to be had with the right people in the room. It’s one where we have to consider safety as well for young women who are in events such as boxing, where we really have to look at the science.

“I think there’s been a bit of a drift towards protecting the female gender via the female sex. Yet, there needs to be a clear distinction because I would not want to get in a ring with a transgender woman who has been through puberty and is on puberty blockers or testosterone blockers.

“I’ve never been through that, and I do not have the muscular or the skeletal infrastructure. So I think for me the controversial statement and the way that we have gone backwards is by blurring the lines between sex and gender and what that looks like in school.”

Lisa Pool addressed the issues women face within sport, highlighting the small amount of representation women get via men, also needs to change: “The amount of times that I will go and sit on a panel that talk about women’s sport, or investment in women’s football, or investment into women’s sport, it’s a female panel talking to a female room.’

‘It’s not a female problem to fix. It’s a societal problem to fix’

“For me, in terms of where I see International Women’s Day, I appreciate culturally across the world it’s completely different. I wish that there would be more conversations about women’s participation, women’s funding on regular occasions.

“People want to hear from women working in the industry around International Women’s day. I have challenges over lots of days and months!’

“But actually it’s all focused on one month and then we disappear again.”

‘How do we normalise it? How do we normalise women working in the game? How do we normalise women playing in the game? How do we make it not just a slogan ‘Women in Football’.

“It’s today and every day.

“We are seeing a change, we are seeing that 58% of women now think that the football industry is one where they can thrive, which is amazing, which it never used to be, but for me, International Women’s Day is here for a purpose. But how do we get these topics, these conversations happening day in, day out, with a mixed audience and a mixed panel that makes it a societal challenge to solve, not just a few other challenges?”

“The unintentional disparity between men’s and women’s voices in sport can mean people within the industry find it hard to speak up,” said Doctor Qi Peng, explaining the experience she has had first-hand within lecturing and sports industry discussons.

“Sometimes the environment you’re in doesn’t give you the opportunity to speak up…there is little implementation to include everyone in the room on discussions that could impact women’s sport or research into the differences between men’s and women’s biology.”

With industry professionals striving to make womens sport an everyday topical conversation, their achievements continue to inspire younger generations, challenge stereotypes and strive for a more equal society.