#EqualityGames? A Social Media Analysis of Gender Representation by National Olympic Committees in the Ibero-American Region for the 2024 Games

Abstract

As the 2024 Olympic Games edition is the first one with an equal gender distribution of the participating athletes, this study aimed to analyze whether this gender equality is also represented in media by the individual National Olympic Committees (NOCs). Thus, this study examined gender representation and user engagement variables on social media posts by NOCs. Chi-square and ANOVA analyses were conducted on data from 827 posts, collected from Instagram and Facebook of different NOCs of the Ibero-American region. Engagement was significantly higher when only one gender was depicted and not both in the same post. Considering the interaction variables, a preference was revealed for female athletes on Instagram, with higher interaction compared to posts featuring males or both sexes. Facebook showed a similar trend for shares but with differences in likes and comments not only between posts showing only women and those showing both sexes, but also between men and both. The analysis also highlighted an imbalance in representation across NOCs. The findings suggest that, despite progress toward gender equality in participation, social media representation remains skewed. This underscores the importance of equitable gender representation by NOCs to achieve congruence with the Olympic Games’ gender equality goals.