BBC Elite British Sportswomen's Survey results
- Published
The BBC Elite British Sportswomen's Survey was sent to 1,068 women in 39 different sports and received 537 responses. It is the third time BBC Sport has carried out the survey. The first one was in 2013 and the second in 2015.
Full 2020 survey results
1. Are you a full-time athlete?
Yes: 259 (48.2%)
No: 275 (51.2%)
Prefer not to say: 3 (0.6%)
2. What is your pre-tax annual income from sport (incl. grants, funding, prize money, salary, sponsorship)?
Nothing: 185 (34.5%)
Under £10,000: 136 (25.3%)
£10-20,000: 71 (13.2%)
£20-30,000: 68 (12.7%)
£30-40,000: 17 (3.2%)
£40-50,000: 10 (1.9%)
£50-60,000: 10 (1.9%)
£60-70,000: 8 (1.5%)
£70-80,000: 6 (1.1%)
£80-90,000: 5 (0.9%)
£100,000+: 12 (2.2%)
Prefer not to say: 9 (1.7%)
3. What percentage comes from prize money?
0%: 413 (77.1%)
25%: 73 (13.6%)
50%: 10 (1.9%)
75%: 15 (2.8%)
100%: 6 (1.1%)
Prefer not to say: 19 (3.5%)
4. What percentage comes from funding given to you by your club or governing body?
0%: 285 (53.3%)
25%: 35 (6.5%)
50%: 23 (4.3%)
75%: 58 (10.8%)
100%: 117 (21.9%)
Prefer not to say: 17 (3.2%)
5. Compared with sportsmen, do you feel sportswomen are paid enough and the financial rewards are adequate?
Yes: 43 (8%)
No: 450 (84%)
Don't know: 43 (8%)
6. Do you think you get enough coaching support compared with men?
Yes: 311 (57.9%)
No: 211 (39.3%)
Don't know: 15 (2.8%)
7. Do you believe your governing body supports you equally, compared with male colleagues?
Yes: 243 (45.3%)
No: 260 (48.5%)
Don't know: 33 (6.2%)
8. Do you think the media does enough to promote women's sport?
Yes: 67 (12.5%)
No: 456 (85.1%)
Don't know: 13 (2.4%)
9. Do you think media coverage of women's sport has improved over the past five years?
Yes: 498 (93.4%)
No: 21 (3.9%)
Don't know: 14 (2.6%)
10. Do you think the media reports on men and women's sport differently?
Yes: 463 (86.2%)
No: 41 (7.6%)
Don't know: 33 (6.1%)
11. Do fans expect a different standard of behaviour from female athletes compared with male athletes?
Yes: 322 (60.2%)
No: 101 (18.9%)
Don't know: 112 (20.9%)
12. Have you ever been trolled on social media?
Yes: 160 (29.9%)
No: 337 (62.9%)
Don't know: 29 (5.4%)
Not applicable: 10 (1.9%)
13. Are you conscious of your body image?
Yes: 416 (77.5%)
No: 108 (20.1%)
Don't know: 13 (2.4%)
14. Do you feel supported by your club/governing body to have a baby and continue to compete?
Yes: 137 (25.5%)
No: 191 (35.6%)
Not applicable: 209 (38.9%)
15. Have you delayed starting a family because of your sporting career?
Yes: 184 (34.3%)
No: 179 (33.3%)
Not applicable: 174 (32.4%)
16. Responding to the following question is completely optional. Have you ever had an abortion because you felt a baby would impact your sporting career?
Yes: 22 (4.1%)
No: 348 (65.3%)
Not applicable: 163 (30.6%)
17. Is your performance affected by your period or have you ever missed training/competition because of your period?
Yes: 321 (59.8%)
No: 184 (34.3%)
Don't know: 20 (3.7%)
Not applicable: 12 (2.2%)
18. Do you take a contraceptive pill specifically to control the impact your period has on your performance?
Yes: 151 (28.2%)
No: 358 (66.9%)
Prefer not to say: 4 (0.7%)
Not applicable: 22 (4.1%)
19. Do you feel comfortable discussing your period with coaches?
Yes: 253 (47.2%)
No: 214 (39.9%)
Don't know: 49 (9.1%)
Not applicable: 20 (3.7%)
20. Do you feel sportswomen can be more open about their sexuality compared with sportsmen?
Yes: 367 (68.3%)
No: 71 (13.2%)
Don't know: 99 (18.4%)
21. Has your sexuality impacted you in your sport in a positive or negative way?
Positive: 66 (12.3%)
Negative: 35 (6.5%)
Don't know: 177 (33%)
Not applicable: 259 (48.2%)
22. Do you feel rules around transgender athletes are fair in your sport?
Yes: 82 (15.3%)
No: 82 (15.3%)
Don't know: 311 (57.9%)
Not applicable: 62 (11.5%)
23. Have you ever experienced or witnessed racism in your sport?
Yes: 109 (20.3%)
No: 414 (77.2%)
Not applicable: 13 (2.4%)
24. Have you ever witnessed racism in your sport?
Yes: 143 (26.7%)
No: 383 (71.5%)
Not applicable: 10 (1.9%)
25. Have you experienced sexism in your sport?
Yes: 347 (64.6%)
No: 168 (31.3%)
Don't know: 22 (4.1%)
26. If you have experienced sexism in sport, did you report it?
Yes: 51 (10.1%)
No: 378 (75%)
Don't know: 75 (14.9%)
27. Are you concerned you might have to give up your sport because of the financial impact of coronavirus?
Yes: 110 (20.5%)
No: 344 (64.1%)
Don't know: 61 (11.4%)
Not applicable: 22 (4.1%)
28. How concerned are you about the impact of coronavirus on women's sport?
Not at all concerned: 42 (7.8%)
Somewhat concerned: 152 (28.3%)
Concerned: 180 (33.5%)
Extremely concerned: 109 (20.3%)
Don't know: 53 (9.9%)
Prefer not to say: 0 (0%)
The electronic survey was sent to representatives of archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, bobsleigh and skeleton, boccia, boxing, canoeing, climbing, cricket, curling, cycling, darts, equestrian, fencing, football, goalball, golf, gymnastics, hockey, horse racing, judo, motorsport, netball, rugby league, rugby union, sailing, shooting, skateboarding, short-track and figure skating, skiing and snowboarding, squash, surfing, swimming - including diving, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, weightlifting. The survey was anonymous.
We did not receive responses from equestrian, gymnastics, motorsport, shooting and taekwondo.
Full details of the 2015 survey here.
Full details of the 2013 survey here.
BBC Sport will be shining a spotlight on issues raised by the BBC Elite British Sportswomen's Survey with coverage throughout the week on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC TV. More information can be found here.