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An institutional analysis of gender (in)equalities, COVID-19 and governance of elite women's football in Australia, England and the USA

Beth G. Clarkson (School of Sport Health and Exercise Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK)
Keith D. Parry (Bournemouth University, Poole, UK)
Alex Culvin (School of Sport and Social Justice, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK)
Stacey Pope (Durham University, Durham, UK)

Sport, Business and Management

ISSN: 2042-678X

Article publication date: 2 February 2022

Issue publication date: 11 August 2022

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Abstract

Purpose

Women's football faces an existential threat from COVID-19. Using case studies, the authors explore the COVID-19 responses of three highly ranked national football associations (Australia, England and the USA) and their professional women's football leagues to (a) compare and shed new insights into the wide range of phased responses and (b) establish recommendations for other nations to navigate major crises with their social and ethical responsibilities to women's football.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on institutional theory, a framework analysis was undertaken examining 71 articles to analyse the gendered global impacts of COVID-19 on women's football.

Findings

Results highlight several important recommendations for nations to consider during the pandemic: (1) maintain active communication with the community to allay worries about the future of women's football, (2) gather support from health and government officials, (3) seek out commercial and broadcasting partnerships to drive revenue, and (4) the interests of women's football are best served when responsibility for the elite women's league does not rest (solely) with national football associations.

Social implications

The authors argue that sport is an interwoven part of society and cannot be separated from gender equality issues irrespective of the pandemic.

Originality/value

The study is first to explore institutional pressures and football governing bodies during COVID-19 and provides a framework for nations to manage major crises.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

A preprint version of this study was uploaded to the SportRxiv PrePrint OSF on January 27, 2021.

Funding: The fourth author was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (grant number AH/N004841/1).

Citation

Clarkson, B.G., Parry, K.D., Culvin, A. and Pope, S. (2022), "An institutional analysis of gender (in)equalities, COVID-19 and governance of elite women's football in Australia, England and the USA", Sport, Business and Management, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 459-478. https://doi.org/10.1108/SBM-01-2021-0004

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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