Patriarchy undermining womenrsquo;s participation in sports: Expressions from female student athletes

Abstract

The present study, using a phenomenological approach, aimed to understand female athletes’ experiences of patriarchal control in college level sports competitions in West Bengal, India. Seven female student athletes were selected through a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview. Using Colaizzi’s techniques of data analysis, the study found that female student athletes encounter patriarchal control during their participation in sports. The result of the study revealed that fear of shame and stigma, peer pressure, male gaze, traditional gender role expectation, control on outdoor movements and offensive comments were the dominant patriarchal challenges/control encountered by female athletes in College sports. Based on the result of the study, it was concluded that women’s life in sports can be said to be under patriarchal control and it is undermining their participation.