We're here for all the female fighters of the world
The Project
Women's boxing is a sport whose story hasn't barely been told. A sport whose history is full of incredible female fighters - women who have fought for respect inside and outside of the ring - and who have never received the recognition they deserve.
The aim of this project was to talk to female boxers about their experiences, to think about what boxing has given them and what it has taken from them, and to think about the media narratives around female boxers and their impact on creating legacy for the sport.
Women's Boxing
In a world where women are not free to express their anger, the boxing gym is a safe place to channel every frustration - every jangling, crashing nerve.
It's a global community of women and girls, with space for everyone - all identities, all races, all ages.
Be inspired by our unsung boxing heroes; find out some of the benefits of boxing or explore the challenges; take a trip through the world of media narratives; and then let us help you get involved in this extraordinary, complex, evolving world of sport.
Image credit: Brianna Githuka
Meet the Team
The Leverhulme Trust
The Leverhulme Trust is a national grant-making organisation, which awards research grants to projects which it feels might not be funded elsewhere. The study of women's boxing takes in a number of different academic fields and the Leverhulme Trust provided funding for this project.
Dr Sarah Crews
Associate Professor of Performance and Physical Culture, Sarah has a specific interest in boxing and identity. Her research spans women's boxing in Wales - past, present and future - gender and performance in boxing, and the role of boxing in physical and visual cultures more broadly.
Dr Miranda Davies
University of South Wales
Novelist, dramatist and academic, Miranda has a particular interest in the media's role in constructing national and regional identities and the role of adaptation in this practice. She joined the research project to examine the way that female boxers were talked about in the media. She publishes her creative work under the name Miranda Emmerson.
University of South Wales
University of South Wales
Project lead Dr Sarah Crews is based at the University of South Wales, and the university collaborated with the Leverhulme Trust to provide funding and support for this project.