Obstacles to Progress in Women's Sports in East Azerbaijan Province

The purpose of this study was to investigate the obstacles to the advancement of women's sports in East Azerbaijan Province. This study comprised of a descriptive-survey and field research. The statistical population of the study consists of all women in the age range of 25 to 64 years in East Azerbaijan Province using cluster sampling. The statistical population was divided into five geographical regions in East Azerbaijan Province: central, northwest, northeast, southwest and southeast regions. The total survey sample numbered 384 people which was determined through Cochran's formula. A standard Keshtgars questionnaire was used to measure factors preventing women's participation in sports. To analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistics were used using ANOVA analysis of variance (P <0.001) with the help of SPSS software version 25. The findings showed that there is a significant difference between the rate of problems facing women's sports in large cities, small towns and villages of the province (F = 130.99). Women in Tabriz city faced structural barriers alone (F = 173.56) while individual barriers (F = 229.54) to some extent lead were the problems faced by women in small towns.  For rural women however, interpersonal problems (F = 473.65) were the main reasons for non-participation in sports.