Women are often times portrayed as sexual objects available for male consumption rather than as competitive athletes. For example, Sports Illustrated often times displays female athletes posing seductively for the camera in bikinis or little amounts of clothing. This "ideal" feminine athleticism can portray women's role in sports as passive, non-competitive, weak, and emotional. This sexy image underscores physical beauty and femininity more so than athletic skill, power, and strength. 

Women also become dis-empowered by receiving less media attention, financial funding, and opportunities to different types of sports. It displays an image that women's sports are not as important as men's sports and that they may not belong on the sports scene. This can also send a message that women in sports are seen as "unfeminine" and not beautiful just because they play a sport. Advances to erase this image have been made since the early 1900's and continue today. Women's equity in sports will not be fully reached until women and men receive the same opportunities, media attention, pay, and recognition.