Traditionally, the Highland Games events, especially the heavy events, have been dominated by males. Today, this continues, but tides are slowly shifting over time. Their focus was traditionally on supporting the male participants, whether that be by dancing, singing, or cheering them on (Freeman-Gibb 2016). Over the past two decades, there has been and continues to be an increase in women’s involvement. As more women join and continue to empower each other, more female participation happens. The Highland Games Heavy Events (HGHE) in Canada had zero female participants and only began to involve women in 1995. At the first game, there were only 3 competitors. Now, there are over 33 ranked female competitors compared to the 113 ranked male competitors. One of the sad realities that has stifled the growth, is the sexualization that female competitors still face today, no matter what the sport is or where it happens. Of all the newspaper reports about HGHE coverage, only 9% featured sportswomen (Freeman-Gibb 2016). The way that the media is slanted towards men and can shed unfavorable light on female competitors, can create a public perception of the athletes that creates even further pushback.  

To fight back against this, there are three recommendations made by Celine Freeman-Gibb, to apply the Strength’s Perspective, Duality of Structure, and the Hope Perspective. The Strength Perspective emphasizes focusing on your abilities and strengths that you already have, taking your focus away from the barriers that might be in your way, and working on what is in your control. One other feature is to use the resources available to enhance your strengths, whether those resources are communal support or finding a mentor. Using the Duality of Structure, competitors examine the barriers that are put in place against them, and how they allow those barriers to constrain them or fight them. By examining the barriers, rules, and resources needed to be successful, individual competitors, individuals can choose how they want to approach them and better manage their own resources. How they respond helps shape the public image, sociologist Anthony Giddens says, “nothing occurs naturally; everything we perceive, each action and reaction is shaped by the existing social structures already in place.” With the hope perspective, this helps fight against the structures already in place. Freeman-Gibb combines two hope perspectives, “hope for” a desired personal goal and “hope in” a preferred shared goal. Hope is a social feeling, it is not something that is purely individual, and as such, hope for one can be hope for many. There are three important steps to having high hope; having goals, the capability to see different routes in those goals, and a belief in one’s ability to follow those routes to achieve the goals. Additionally, when you have a shared goal for the future, it helps cultivate even stronger hope. This means being open and available to others as well. With these three recommendations, there is hope that women’s involvement in the Traditional Highland Games will continue to grow and be even more prosperous.