Sport, Equality And Discrimination – Annual Review 2022/23

Every year there are consistent themes when one looks at the topic of equality in sport, but there are different aspects that rise to the fore. 2022 saw the Men’s Football World Cup played out in Qatar against protests and publicity stunts from those advocating particularly for the rights of those in the LGBQTI+ community.

The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham was one of many stories of increased visibility and prominence given to para-athletes. We will consider the progress for para sport and the next steps which are so overdue.

The incredible performances from England Women’s football team, the Lionesses, will live long in the memory of anyone who watched any part of their Euros 2022 campaign. But the comments immediately after their victory brought home again the disparity between the men’s and women’s teams. We will take a look at some of the issues around gender inequality which still persists in many sports.

As well as issues arising for cis-gendered women 2022 has also been a year in which many sports have grappled with how to balance inclusivity with fair competition in the context of transgender participation in sport. We will consider some of the approaches and cases in this space and where next for this complex and multifaceted topic.

Racism also remains a serious problem within sport and on sport related social media, and a brief look at some of the top stories in this space will conclude this year’s equality and discrimination chapter of the LawInSport Annual Review 2022/23:

• FIFA World Cup 2022

• Disability in Sport

• UEFA Women’s Euro 2022

• Transgender Participation

• Race Discrimination