Partner research: Integration, Inclusion and Belonging through Sports: migrant women in Finland

Our work-life partner, Caroline Namae, has published her important research report “Integration, Inclusion and Belonging through Sports: migrant women in Finland”. Hopefully this will be read by all decision makers in sports. The results can help to promote the well being of many people, attract more talent to Finland and prevent future costs:

“Based on the survey results from participants with an immigrant background, the data revealed that engaging in sports and physical activities had a significant positive effect, enhancing their inclusion and integration in Finland and thus con- tributing to a stronger sense of belonging as migrants.”

”The results show that sport can support migrant women to establish new con- nections, friendships, and communities with other migrants and native residents. Spaaij (2012) found that sports participation in community clubs can play an important role in fostering a sense of community belonging. Some participants mentioned:

‘‘Sports is the only thing that brings communities together.’’ (R2) ‘‘ Sports has no boundaries just like Music.’’ (R3)

‘‘Sport is an important bridge that allows societies to come together.’’ (R4)

Participation in sports and physical activities contributes to personal, social, and intellectual growth and promotes social inclusion and integration. Research con- ducted in the past has indicated that sports possess the ability to significantly incorporate immigrants into the host society (e.g., Alemu et al., 2021; Makarova & Herzog, 2014).”

Structural barriers

Structural barriers can include economic, social, physical, and environmental factors that impede an individual’s participation in sports or physical activities. As noted in the study findings, weather conditions such as the winter season, were identified as a hindrance to migrant women’s involvement in sports and physical activities.

‘‘The weather, I am a runner, and in the winter, it is hard to keep moti- vated, I then use a treadmill.’’ (R5)

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Weather can pose an obstacle for other migrants and affect their participation in physical activities especially those from warm countries who now live in cold countries like Finland. Persson et al. (2014) and Curtin K.D. et al. (2018) pointed out that dark and cold weather conditions hindered immigrant women from walk- ing outside, and feeling uneasy in dim, chilly areas or while exercising causes them to stay indoors.

Other structural barriers included insufficient financial resources to finance costly exercise facilities like gyms, membership fees, and sporting venues at far distances, as described below by respondents 6 and 7;

‘‘Financial difficulties and expensive gyms’’ (R6)
‘‘Most sports venues are far away from where I live’’ (R7)

Social-cultural barriers

Social-cultural barriers can be characterized as specific social and cultural prac- tices, ideologies, and customs within a community or society that either motivate or impede physical activities. For example, the components of the Islamic faith practiced by Muslim women, such as their attire and the necessity for separate gender sports, have made it challenging for the women to participate in sports hence exclusion.

In this research study, discrimination and racism were identified as social-cul- tural barriers that affected participants’ experiences in sports-related activities. Some of the participants mentioned how they encountered discrimination and racism related to the sports activities they participated in.

‘‘I wanted to continue playing basketball, which I did for about a week or two. After that, I was told I could not continue in the group but without any details and the message was directed to a family member who forwarded it to me’’. (R8)

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‘‘Sports is a closed world for migrants.’’ (R9)
‘‘Not giving migrant girls and women safe spaces.’’ (R10)
‘‘ Name calling, isolation, prejudice, and segregation’’ (R11)

Discrimination and racism in sports or elsewhere can have long-term effects on an individual’s life as it can undermine their self-esteem, confidence, and sense of belonging. As Respondent 12 notes;

‘‘Racism and discrimination can interfere with a person’s self-confidence and sense of belonging’’ (R12)

Racism is a universally prevalent issue, and it is an indisputable fact that it exists in all societies worldwide and it is a well-established fact that racism is made visible in both elite and leisure-time sports, not least through various types of microaggressions in the form of racist jokes and racial epithets (e.g., Scott. 2015; Spaaij, 2012). Racism that occurs daily is a factor that undermines inte- gration, social connectedness, and trust in society.

Participation in sports can potentially promote integration and social inclusion, but it may also lead to instances of racial or religious prejudice. Baker-Lewton et al. (2017) and Abur (2018) discuss the impact of everyday racism In sports on the lives of South Sudanese Australians.

The study findings discovered that cultural norms and values serve as another obstacle to the involvement of migrant women in sports-related activities. Cul- tural influences and patriarchal ideology remain the main undermining influ- ences as they play out in sports and society differently (Burnett, 2021b). A re- spondent noted;

‘My experience is that there are religious or cultural reasons hindering mi- grant women from joining sports activities. E.g., Muslim girls have to wear scarfs, do not show their hair, etc. ’’ R13

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Individual barriers

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These obstacles can be shaped by the participants’ individual beliefs, abilities, roles, social connections, and affiliations with family, friends, and the communi- ties they belong to.

Family roles and responsibilities within families can influence the ability of mi- grant women to take part in sports and physical activities, especially if they are solely responsible for caring for their, as per Respondent 14.

‘‘Being active in sports is not a priority when you do not have a support network for example care for your kids if you have some.’’ (R14)

Migrant women are constrained from being active in sports and physical exer- cise due to Familial obligations, children’s responsibilities, and household chores. Exercise is not valued as highly in all cultures as it is in Finnish culture, and in many of the countries where immigrant women come from, women are primarily responsible for looking after their families and homes, leaving little time for sports (Zacheus, 2011). Respondents 15 and 16 suggest;

‘‘ Sports clubs and organizations should provide a possibility of caring for the kids, for example in some gyms they have’’ (R15)

‘‘ Give mothers more free time from house obligations’’ (R16)

Not having enough experience or knowledge of the available sports services and their advantages was considered an obstacle. The participants acknowl- edged that a lack of experience and knowledge contributed to their limited in- volvement in sports activities. Some of their answers support this view.

‘‘I have faced a lack of experience and knowledge. Some people might believe that a certain sport or dance belongs to only a specific group.” (R17)

‘‘Lack of knowledge (why it is important to do sports).’’ (R18)

This research results also revealed that the language barrier limits the involve- ment of migrant women in sports and physical activities. Insufficient language skills make it hard for migrants to participate in sports. Due to the difficulty of the Finnish language, migrants struggle to fully engage in sports activities and events, even when available.

‘‘If there are no proper Finnish skills, it is very difficult to fit in.’’ (R19)

Wegnelius, C. J. et al. (2018) stated that immigrants face barriers to accessing information about physical activities, activity locations, and transportation due to language.

Read the full report here: