Gender Discrimination Examples In Sports – Clear And Unbiased

Sports play an essential role in our daily lives, let it be physical, mental, or spiritual. It has become a major part of people’s leisure time. To stay fit and healthy or to release stress. One should not ask questions about why sport is so important that people would fight for the right to participate. The better question is, why do people, especially women, have to even fight for equality? No other activity has involved as many people around the world as sports. It’s an international language for everyone, but, as always, not everybody agrees on that. Stay tuned because we have brought you some gender discrimination examples in sports.

Gender Discrimination Examples In Sports – The Longest Lobby

One hundred and one years ago, in 1921, they prepared for an exceptional sporting event in Monte-Carlo. The first Women’s Olympics! Alice Milliat, a brave pioneer, followed her heart and took significant steps in the direction of women’s equality. Gradually, her organization gained recognition for women athletes through her decades of work, lobbying, and arranging sports events. Her primary purpose was to draw the IOC’s attention to female athletes. To get the liberty to participate in the Olympics, which was rightfully theirs. Since the perception of women’s sports was an issue, at the time, such competitions helped in accepting female athletes. That both men and women get medals in all Olympic sports is primarily due to Alice Milliat. 

Although, even in the modern era, no matter the extent of the change in female athletes’ judgment, the press has a lot of power. The problem is not just with getting fewer media coverage than men but also with the content of their stories. The media often sexualize women sports and athletes. Stereotyping them is not the only problem. It is also harmful to their performance. They have to face much more challenges than men. Unfortunately, there are quite some gender discrimination examples in sports. There have been cases where some have fought for their rights. Ambitious women who stood their ground achieved many results. Several of them demonstrated the limitless strength women have, despite the obstacles. No matter the outcome, they were and are heroes.

Remarkable Women Who Fought For Themselves

Gender discrimination examples in sports were, and are, clear by looking at the imbalance between male and female events. Even in the Olympic program. For instance, at ski jumping. For a while, they tried to keep women away from the sport for some reason.

They did not take their attempts seriously. Yet, they jumped almost the same distance as men, and not even the torn ligaments or broken bones scared them away. A group of female ski jumpers lost their case of gender discrimination against the Vancouver Organizing Committee at the 2010 Winter Games. They wanted a female ski jumping event included in the games. Although, due to the continuous public pressure, they included women’s ski jumping at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. Speaking of which, don’t forget to bet on the upcoming Winter Olympics at Bovada Sportsbook. However, don’t think female ski jumping is a new trend. The first documented jump took place in 1911. A baroness, Paula Lamberg, flew 22 meters and set the first female World Record. 

Before the 2015 Women’s World Cup, female soccer players filed a lawsuit against the Canadian Soccer Association and FIFA. They claimed that using artificial turf was a form of gender discrimination. They said that no soccer player would want to play ball on synthetic grass. The texture, friction, sliding, and even the temperature affect the players’ performance big-time. Even if nothing came from it, they wanted to have something on file. In case of other complaints, they will see that it wouldn’t be the first try. Although they withdrew the case, it highlighted the incompatibility between the existing equality regulations and some gender-related questions in sports.

Gender Discrimination Examples In Sports – Boxing

Female boxing is finally thriving. Currently, more women are boxing than ever, having more respect than before. While women have been boxing for almost as long as the sport existed, people looked down on their matches. For much of the history of boxing, athletic committees refused to give licenses to women boxers. Most nations even banned women from competing officially. There are documents about ladies boxing in the ring from the 18th century. Imagine the secret boxing clubs, where women could step out of the traditional gender role. Women’s boxing first debuted at the 1904 Olympics in a demonstration match. At the end of the 20th century, the Amateur International Boxing Association adopted new rules. They organized the first European Women’s Cup in 1999 and the first Women’s World Championships in 2001. 

Of course, it wouldn’t have happened without a courageous woman. Although women fought professionally in many countries long before 2000, in the UK, the BBBC refused to allow it until 1998. By the end of the century, however, they gave out licenses. The first approved female match was in 1998, in London, between Jane Couch and Simona Lukic. Jane Couch’s case serves as one of the most famous gender discrimination examples in sports. Couch won against the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC), which banned her from competing based on her gender. After years of fighting for fairness, she won the right to become a professional boxer. The BBBC justified their disapproval with the general aspects of femininity and masculinity.

However, this was not the only gender discrimination example in sports. The AIBA (Amateur International Boxing Association) wanted women to wear skirts, the symbol of womanhood. Though female boxers took it to heart because they felt that it would damage the respect they worked hard for. Plus, wearing a uniform would most likely affect their performance. Then came Elizabeth Plank, a young journalist who launched a petition against the dress code. She collected more than 50000 signatures and succeeded. Female boxers still don’t have to wear skirts during the matches.

Kathrine Switzer, The First Female Marathon Runner, Proved Everyone Wrong

Kathrine Switzer’s case was another gender discrimination example in sports or was more like an attempt. Switzer became the first lady, to run the Boston Marathon in 1967. She proved that women, like men, can run the traditional distance. Jock Semple, the race’s director, shouted at her and tried to drag her off.

Thanks to her boyfriend, the American football player Tom Miller, who pushed him off of her, she was able to make history. There are photos of the iconic moment. It may sound strange for us, but fifty years ago, women were discouraged and sometimes even excluded from sports. Men claimed that their bodies were unsuitable for these types of physical activities. They tried to scare them with ridiculous ideas, like from long-distance running, their womb will stop working and such. 

Partly due to these theories, the Boston Marathon was a men’s race until 1967. However, Switzer thought differently, and she was determined to contradict these false beliefs. She trained hard to succeed. Switzer used a legal trick when she applied for the competition. She wrote only the initials of her first names on the application, so K.V. Switzer. The trickery was worth it. After pushing away the director, she completed the distance in 4 hours and 20 minutes. Switzer’s brave action proved to be a milestone in the sport. From 1972, they allowed ladies to participate in the Boston Marathon. Moreover, from then on, they organized marathons for women too.

What Counts Gender Discrimination In Sports

Gender discrimination in sports range from emotional and mental pressure to violence. Those who dare to speak often risk their career. This happened to Charlotte Girard-Fabre too, whose story serves as a gender discrimination example in sports. She was an international hockey referee for ten years. Seven of them were at the top men’s professional level in France. Today, she works as a national handball referee with her husband.

She was at six World Championships and two Olympics. In Sochi and Pyongyang. Charlotte did not decide to end her career. They deprived her of that right after drawing attention to the hurtful discrimination against her. During the games and her career. She was the victim of gender discrimination, sexism, and verbal assault. Just because she was a woman, male players, judges, fans, etc., did not respect her. They targeted Charlotte with crude jokes, comments and toyed with her job. Instead of judgment and contempt, female referees, judges, and athletes deserve appreciation. 

Gender Discrimination Examples In Sports – LGBTQ

The Tokyo Olympics had historical significance to the LGBTQ community. Online sportsbook sites in the US, listed 142 openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and nonbinary competitors. There’s still a lot of attention on LGBTQ athletes, which can be scary for many. However, we are at the beginning of acceptance. After all, it’s a private matter and has nothing to do with sports. Though, it was great to see that it might inspire others to be themselves. At the Olympics, LGBTQ athletes from 25 countries, competed in 26 different sports. Last year, the Olympic Games drew attention to transgender athletes as well. The International Olympic Committee changed its rules in 2015 to allow the participation of transgender athletes. 

At least nine transgender people wanted to qualify for the five-ring games in Japan in 2021. Although Laurel Hubbard, the first transgender participant in the history of Olympia, has been the main focus of the press. She is a weightlifter from New Zealand. Supporters say that it’s a victory.

Though, critics are having a hard time accepting her in the female category. Since his muscles didn’t change after her gender-affirming surgery, she has an advance over other women. Her qualifications and participation provoked both international delight and outrage. Caitlyn Jenner (Bruce Jenner) also opposed transgender men in the women’s field. According to the well-known American athlete, who had previously won the men’s decathlon at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, “it just isn’t fair”. Everyone has the right to their opinion, but wouldn’t it be nice to live in a world of total acceptance? After all, isn’t acceptance the moral of this article about gender discrimination in sports?

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