Multicultural women in Australia are confronted by restrictions to participation in sport according to UTS School of Leisure, Sport and Tourism researchers Dr Kristine Toohey and Dr Tracy Taylor.

In striking contrast, the researchers say the sports arena is an important meeting place for Australian and migrant men from various cultures. It is where they have the opportunity to express their cultural identities and negotiate cultural acceptance.

"Women from multicultural backgrounds are being denied the benefits of sporting activities, which range from social inclusion to minimising health risks," Dr Toohey said.

These conclusions are based on the latest of several pioneering studies into women’s sport and cultural diversity in sport in Australia conducted by the Toohey and Taylor research team since 1994.

Dr Taylor, whose PhD thesis was on the culture of netball — the quintessential women’s sport, which Australian women dominate globally — says even this sport is not inclusive of culturally and linguistically diverse women.

"Of all women’s sport in this country netball is the most gender friendly to women, so you might expect a high level of cultural diversity. Instead the official statistics indicate that 95 per cent of these players come from Anglo backgrounds," Dr Taylor said.

The research reveals that there are a number of invisible hurdles multicultural women would need to jump to join this exclusive club ­ like family history in the sport, cultural issues relating to uniforms and concerns about travelling at night.

Dr Toohey says that while some sports providers have got to know their community’s needs, and made the effort to cater to them, there is resistance from other organisations to providing special access.

"These organisations haven’t researched their market and they’re missing these opportunities. Given the right conditions and support, multicultural women like any section of the population want to participate in physical activities, and even those who are least active can be tempted to do so," Dr Toohey said.

See the full story in UTS News online.