Perception of Constraints to Recreational Sport Participation

Females’ daily lives, social roles, status and treatment in society are connected to how they are able to experience recreation. This study shares the findings of a research project that investigated possible reasons for low rate of female involvement in sport and recreation at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). The distinction which Henderson (1993) makes between the more visible Structural/physical and less visible antecedent constraints was used as the framework for presenting the findings. This book highlights the complexity of factors affecting females’ participation in recreational sport. Addressing the physical/intervening constraints or the availability of sport facilities may not automatically lead to an increased involvement of females in sport and recreation. The reality is that unless one considers the context in which constraints occur so that socio- cultural/antecedent constraints are acknowledged and simultaneously dealt with, very little will change and efforts to address gender inequality in sport and recreation at Teritary Institutions will be thwarted.