‘Smile more’: women’s experiences of sexism while working in sport from a socio-ecological perspective

Abstract

Reports of sexism in sport are ever-growing despite the potential for sexism to impact the well-being of everyone negatively. Relatively little research has investigated this phenomenon, meaning we do not have a clear picture of women’s experiences and are far from implementing relevant solutions. We explored women’s experiences of sexism while working in sport to gain an understanding of how multiple ecological layers intertwine to influence these experiences. A survey, based on the Everyday Sexism Survey, was completed by 105 women; qualitative data was abductively thematically analysed using LaVoi and Dutove ecological model to make sense of women’s experiences. Higher-order themes represented the intrapersonal, interpersonal, organisational, and sociocultural levels at which participants experienced sexism. Clear evidence of sexism at all levels of the ecological model demonstrates that organisations and policymakers must consider the social and personal change necessary for women working in sport.