According to data from the VisualGPS survey, by iStock, 90% of Brazilians think that companies should make an effort to promote female athletes
With the wait for the start of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, iStock released a study that found that only 9% of the most downloaded visual content represented women and girls actively participating in sports, entitled VisualGPS.
The search results are minimally better when looking at images referring to football, where only 13% of the downloaded content shows women and girls practicing the sport.
In addition, the survey also indicated that 90% of Brazilians agree that organizations and businesses of all sizes should strive to promote female team stars. Another point made was that 85% of people expect to see authentic portraits of women who play sports and that highlight skills and athleticism, not their physical attributes.
In order to bridge the gender gap in sport, representing the female experience in sport through an inclusive lens is key. Show the fans, players, coaches, mothers, community leaders, sports club owners and so on, said Jacqueline Bourke, Director of Creative Insights for Europe, Middle East and Africa at iStock.
The survey also revealed an intensified drive to engage with women’s sports, as nearly 9 out of 10 Brazilians of all genders consider it crucial to provide female athletes with the same level of media coverage that their male counterparts receive.
Sports sponsors are watching and, according to data from Sponsor United, sponsorship of women’s sport has seen a 20% increase in 2022. Furthermore, the Women’s World Cup, which kicks off this Thursday (2), has already sold around of one million tickets, surpassing total sales at the 2019 France championship, resulting in concrete proof of growing support for women’s sport.
According to our VisualGPS survey, nearly 1 in 3 women who do not play or follow sports stated that they were never given the opportunity to learn about it or even felt fearful of possible judgment. Businesses have an opportunity to help empower women and girls in sport by using authentic and inclusive looks, by focusing on what sports they can play and not what they look like, added the executive.
