Abstract
The four periods: idealization, emancipation, socialization and participation seem to be applicable to the emancipation of women in the field of sports in various socie ties in the world. Although it could be said that through empirical and scientific research more and more women are now participating in sports, there are many women in developing countries who are yet to get their liberation to mix with their colleagues. The author was able to discover through his investigation that about 80% of Nigerian women are still at the idealization period of their development in sports. They are confined by culture to be gentle, shy, fragile and subordinate to the male sex. Sport is still considered the prerogative of the male.
Besides, women's teams were coached by men who used the same training and the same programme as they did for men. The concept of unisex which has led men and women to wear long and short pants has sparked off ill feelings among the traditionalists and the élite. The attitude to dampen women's effort to participate in sports has been generated out of fear or the economic loss which men may likely suffer once women are accepted into sports.
The schools that exposed women to sports were mostly government owned in stitutions for women and some few mission owned colleges and high schools. It was not until 1950 that Mrs. Irene Fatayi-Williams, a British woman married to a Nigerian, organized sports for women.
The investigation carried out in the community of the University of Ife, Ile-Ife Nigeria revealed that while more women were in support of women's liberation they were not of the opinion that equality between men and women could be measured and demonstrated through sports.
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