Beyond The Finish Line: Understanding the Victimization of Women in Sports in India

Recent decades have demonstrated an increase in research addressing women's victimization in sports, with studies conducted mostly in Western countries. In India, like elsewhere in the world, women's sports and related victimization have increasingly become apparent, albeit understudied. Guided by a feminist socio-ecological approach, this study examines women's sports-related abuse experiences and risk factors by surveying a random sample of 436 female sports players residing in one state in India. The results indicate that one-third of the women athletes were subjected to some form of abuse, the most common of which was financial. The social, cultural, relational, and institutional factors associated with abuse are presented, and the abuse forms, perpetrators, and women's reasons for not reporting their victimization are described and analyzed. The article concludes with theoretical and policy implications and recommendations.