New study finds female sports coaches ‘twice as likely to be bullied’

“What we are seeing is a convergence of misogyny, where women are not yet accepted as equals in sport, and they are not accepted in leadership roles,” said Stephanie Hilburn, CEO of Women in Sport.

“If sport wants a coaching workforce fit for the future, it must put in place clear anti-misogyny policies, supported by coaching, to address the harmful behaviours, structures and cultures that allow inequality to persist.”

Sport England boss Chris Boardman added: “It’s a clear wake-up call.

“From safety concerns when playing sport, to online abuse and bullying in training, too many women and girls still face barriers in sport at all levels.”

Women in Sport said the results show the need for long-term cultural change across the training system to ensure women are able to work safely and confidently.

The charity recommended the introduction of anti-misogyny policies at all levels of sport, supported by appropriate training, to tackle harmful behavior and outdated attitudes.

The report called for preparing reports on gender impact and developing a gender budget to help identify and close gaps in wages and expenses and investing in the development of coaches, as well as ensuring gender-balanced leadership, while submitting transparent annual reports on the composition of senior leadership.

It also wants to establish independent and reliable reporting mechanisms so coaches can safely and confidently report harm.