Sport and democracy: Looking at women’s soccer in Chile

How do you define sport and democracy? Seeing this concept in action
The International Charter for Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport is a document inspired by human rights that was adopted by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) member states (18 November 2015, 38th session-UNESCO General Conference). Concepts of physical education, physical activity and sport are expressed in detail as a fundamental right during all stages of human development. Starting from this definition, and based on the experience of lead author as a physical education teacher and female soccer athlete, this article concludes that concept of sport defines a fundamental role in the personal growth of each human being.

Contributing to the feeling of belonging, it creates communities where athletes feel part of a common goal, and sport promotes the development of positive social attitudes and behaviors. Values acquired through these practices are significant in the act of doing sports and as a philosophy of life. Perseverance, teamwork and tolerance stand out in the practice of sports. Teachers play a fundamental role in the formation of these aspects, training not only physical or tactical characteristics of sport but also emphasizing how to socialize and to preserve these collective values in the future.

Today in "elite" sport, the real importance of sport is fading more and more. A recent controversial example can be seen through the men's soccer World Cup in Qatar in 2022. This competition was held in a country where basic rights were called into question at various stages from the construction of stadiums to the staging of the event. Shouldn't sport promote peace? As Article 11.1 of the International Charter of Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport states: "Sports programs in favor of development and peace should be aimed at eradicating poverty, as well as the strengthening of democracy, human rights, security, a culture of peace and non-violence, dialogue and conflict resolution, tolerance and non-discrimination, social inclusion, equality between men and women, the Rule of law, sustainability, environmental awareness, health, education and the role of civil society." (UNESCO, 2015, https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000235409).

Recently, Chile has seen a significant change in its way of governing and its constitutional laws. In Chile, democracy seemed to be respected by the mere act of voting. The reality is that social injustices were never taken into account by governments. Therefore the Chilean people, through a popular revolution, acted to speak up on issues such as gender equality, the pension system, equal marriage, security for the elderly, recognition of indigenous peoples, physical education, and physical activity, and sport as a fundamental right, which to date does not appear in the Chilean Constitution created on 8 August 1980.

Within these groups, the sports community, elite athletes and fans of all professional clubs came together for the same cause, namely to achieve social justice. In the context of sport, incorporating laws that validate physical activity demanded the creation of a new constitution that validates the importance of physical education and sport as a fundamental right in the development of the human being, as well as a tool to strengthen peace and democracy. These demands are being addressed now - democracy in sports is taking center stage.

Chile and women’s soccer explained
A lack of democracy can be seen every day with the slow development of women's soccer in Chile. Writing from the lead author’s experience, it has been possible to generate greater visibility because the female soccer players have sought spaces for dialogue, making their opinion known in work groups that support growth and recognize the work of women in sport, specifically in soccer. However, to reach professional standards in women's soccer in Chile, legal changes are needed. These must guarantee minimum conditions for players who play women's soccer since the inequality is enormous with respect to men's soccer.

On 21 March 2022, the law for the professionalization of women's soccer was signed where professional clubs must hire their players and obtain remuneration that recognizes their work as professional. By law, 50% of players at every club must now have a paid contract. The law stipulated that within two years of the law passing 75% of players must have a work contract, and after three years (2025) 100% must have an employment contract. This does not mean that high remuneration is guaranteed as it only needs to comply with the minimum salaries that exist in Chile.

The Department of Economics and Business at the University of Chile and the National Association of Women's Soccer Players (ANJUFF) researched women's soccer in Chile, with 520 players (of a total of just over 1000) answering an online questionnaire (Rojas et al., 2021; https://unegocios.uchile.cl/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/informe_radiografia_fut_fem.pdf). Questions were related to labor conditions; sexuality; relationships between players, the sports community and the club; gender equity; age range; relationships between men's and women's teams, among other relevant issues. The objective was to characterize the population and analyze institutional and cultural barriers faced by women soccer players in Chile. The survey found that  of 520 respondents only 50 (4.4% of the total players) have a professional contract. Data also indicates frequent discrimination in benefits and remuneration: “In the First Division, 62.7% indicate frequently or very frequently and 12.0% almost never, while in the Second Division 64.9% indicate frequently or very frequently and 10.2% indicate hardly ever."

To summarize, professional women soccer players face different direct and indirect forms of discrimination, demonstrating the lack of importance given to women's soccer. Institutions in charge of promoting the sport do not create spaces to dialogue and strengthen the fundamental values of sports, such as respect, democracy and equality of opportunities, among others.

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Authored by
Daniela Carreño Fernandez, School of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, University of Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile 

Randeep Rakwal, Institute of Health and Sport Sciences, Tsukuba International Academy for Sport Studies (TIAS2.0) and University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan