ABSTRACT
This chapter explores adolescent girls’ and young women’s marginalised status in sports and public spaces in Mumbai’s low-income communities. The study uses qualitative and quantitative data from a cohort of female participants aged 12–16 and 20–25 years and their parents from low-income communities. The research highlights some of the main barriers to female participation in public sports, namely, the lack of safety within the community, and traditional social norms that restrict women’s primary roles to the household. The local communities act as reference groups that reinforce traditional norms by endorsing male superiority and, thus, disempowering women. Stereotyping women in the local communities was criticised by many participants during the interviews. While adolescent girls and young women do perceive some benefits of sport participation, e.g. increased confidence and self-esteem, they also note some negative aspects linked to actively engaging in physical activity.
