The gender gap in extracurricular activities it is still open. It is true that in some particular cases it has been closing and almost no scar remains, but there are still choices marked by gender. Boys to soccer and girls to ballet. Something that should not happen in the middle of 2022 is a reality in many schools in A Coruña and its metropolitan area. It is explained by the technician of educational programs of the Provincial Federation of Associations of Mothers and Fathers of Students (Anpas), Alberto Míguez, which details that although “the offer is made by age groups, there are still differences by sex”. “There are activities that are more in demand by boys, such as futsal, basketball and chess, and others in which there are only girls, such as ballet, rhythmic gymnastics or modern dance,” he comments, while noting that, taking into account the last three years, “45% of the participants in extracurricular activities are children”. The rest, about 55%, are girls.
However, steps forward have already been taken. From the federation they assure that there are sports that have achieved equality, such as tennis or athletics. But we still have to keep working on it. “It is important that the competitions are mixed. Also, the best form of integration is to play together. To know and respect others, it is good to share a hobby”, reflects Míguez. The president of the Anpas Federation, María José Ferreño, believes that “we must change the chip.” “These differences continue to exist and it cannot be,” she points out.
An investigation of the Complutense University of Madrid on extracurricular activities in Spain also warns of this situation. In activities such as dance and dance, they stand out: they are 7.6 times more than men. Researchers have also recorded that boys attend more robotics and programming classes (twice as much) and science classes (2.75 times more), while girls are in the majority in cultural extracurricular activities such as painting, theater and music (1.2 more times).
Alberto Míguez explains that in the classes dedicated to 3-year-old children, “the conciliation”. “Many times families choose the activity because it fits their schedule well,” she says. In Primary, the situation changes. “There the boys and girls already have their tastes and they begin to choose for that reason or because their friends also go,” she says. At that stage, from 5 or 6 years old, it is time to opt for a sport no matter what else. “From the centers we try to get boys and girls to sign up for everything,” concludes the technician, who celebrates the recovery of participants after the years of the pandemic.
