Analysis of gender equality in Iraqi football: A qualitative research

Abstract The debate on gender equality in sports remains a controversial issue. Although women are equal to men according to the law, there is no such justice and equality in the world of sports. The purpose of this research is to investigate gender equality in Iraqi football. The general approach of this research is qualitative, and the method used is the theme or thematic analysis. In this research, with a thematic approach, 17 professors and researchers who are active in the sociology and sports management field were selected with a purposeful sampling method. A semi-structured in-depth interview with open questions was used to collect data. Based on the findings, a total of 77 basic themes, eight organizing themes, and three overarching themes were extracted and classified, and the organizing themes of the research include public culture, public support for men's football, gender stereotypes, family restrictions, gender inequality in cyberspace, media malfunction in Gender equality was gender inequality in financial opportunities and gender inequality in sports facilities, and the overarching theme included social challenges, media challenges, and unequal opportunity challenges. The results prove the existence of inequality and injustice in Iraqi football, which is essential, facing challenges that can achieve gender equality in Iraqi football if these challenges are successfully managed.