Sports play a significant role in empowering women by fostering confidence, leadership, and social inclusion. Women’s participation in sports has significantly increased over the years, yet numerous barriers continue to arrest their full inclusion and advancement. These challenges stem from social, cultural, economic, and structural factors that shape opportunities for female athletes. In recent years , there has been a growing effort to promote gender equality in sports, but still, a lot of barriers exist for women athletes. Moreover psychological challenges, including low self-confidence and lack of role models, also influence participation rates. Addressing these barriers requires policy reforms, increased media representation, and community initiatives promoting gender inclusivity in sports.The present paper focuses on how gender stereotypes and societal expectations often discourage women from engaging in competitive sports, reinforcing the notion that athletics is a male-dominated domain. Furthermore, the present paper also examines on lack of financial support, inadequate media coverage, and unequal resource allocation on gender basis which create disparities in training facilities, sponsorships, and career opportunities for women in India. Additionally, the paper evaluates government initiatives and policy interventions that aimed at promoting women’s participation in sports. Institutional barriers, such as discriminatory policies and unequal prize money, further marginalize female athletes. Additionally, safety concerns, including harassment and lack of proper facilities, disproportionately affect women in sports.
Harshdeep Kaur (Wed,) studied this question.