Constraints to women's participation in sports: a study of participation of Pakistani female students in physical activities.

Historically, women's participation in activities outside of the home, such as in sport, has been discouraged due to several reasons. This article aims to explore the barriers to women in sporting activities by addressing the ratio of their participation in capitals of each province of Pakistan, using the feminist lens. With the help of stratified random sampling, women's colleges in four Pakistani provincial capital cities were surveyed, using a questionnaire specifically designed for this study. M-plus was used to eliminate the questions which had little or no influence on female participation in sport. Independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA then post hoc test and follow-up results revealed that sub-dimensions of the constraints 'Mass Media' and 'Religious and Cultural' were the most significant factors, with mean up to 2.8 and 2.7, respectively. There are significant differences (p < 0.05) in constraints experienced by female students in big and small cities and in public and private institutions. The results provide preliminary evidence that alerting family members to the benefits of sport and providing facilities for women can enhance their participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]