GENDER EQUALITY IN SPORTS

Abstract

Only 7 percent of the female population in our country are licensed sportswomen. Among these, the rate of sportswomen active in sports is only 4 percent. There are only six sports branches in which the number of licensed sportswomen is more than the number of sportsmen: horse-riding, ice skating, gymnastics, dance sports, folk dances and volleyball. The number of sportswomen should be increased in sports federations. The number of licensed male football players registered to the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) is 602.465. On the other hand, the number of licensed female football players registered to the TFF is only 6.364. That is, there is 1 licensed female football player in return for 100 licensed male football players. One-fifth of licensed female sportswomen in Turkey prefers martial arts such as Judo, Karate, Boxing, Kick Boxing, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, and Wushu. In order to ensure the development of female sports in our country, firstly, sports culture needs to be spread to the society. To be able to achieve this, it is necessary to make sport an indispensable part of basic education and to emphasize that sport is a fundamental right of each citizen. Most importantly, all kinds of sports activities, organizations, and investments organized for men should also be realized for women.