Desigualdade estrutural entre o futebol feminino e masculino do Brasil: Uma análise econômica e sociopolítica

Abstract

In Brazil, women's football has been characterised by exclusion, invisibility and inequality compared to men's football. This reflects the historically constructed social and institutional structures of Brazilian society. This study aims to analyse the structural differences between the two by examining econometric data and socio-political assumptions, and by identifying the main causes and implications of this inequality. The study also seeks to discuss effective ways to strengthen and professionalise women's football. To this end, a descriptive-analytical approach is adopted based on documentary analysis of academic and journalistic articles, sports websites and data collected from official sources such as the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the Ministry of Sport. The quantitative dimension of the research includes the disparity in the number of federated clubs: 194 women's football teams were affiliated with federations or the CBF in 2024, compared to 690 professional men's clubs. This means that for every women's team, there are 3.6 men's clubs in activity. Data shows that men's football receives up to 100 times more investment than women's football in areas such as TV quotas, prize money and average salaries. This reveals a financial disparity of up to 99% between the genders in national sport. Women's football in Brazil is still affected by a history of female exclusion from sport, exacerbated by the legal ban between 1941 and 1979, which hindered its competitive development. Despite its potential as a tool for social inclusion and integration of women in different sociocultural contexts, the sport still faces obstacles related to low media visibility, which has historically focused on men's football. Restricted and stereotypical coverage limits audience development and sponsorship, and restricts the sport's economic and symbolic development. Despite all these difficulties, there has been remarkable growth in women's football in recent years, and this growth can continue if investment and public policies aimed at equity are implemented. In order to reduce this gap, effective public policies, greater institutional investment and cultural transformation are needed to strengthen the social role of football as an instrument of inclusion and sports democratisation in Brazil by reducing gender inequality.