Gender Equality And Sport
It's just incredible how gender equality is so little, across the board, when it comes to sport.
I’m an athlete and a sports follower. Some sports more, some sports less. But one thing that is blatantly clear across most sports is how unequal they are between women and men.
Of course, money is one that is easy to point out. The Canadian women's soccer team’s recent fight to get similar payment and conditions as the men’s team is one example. Not to mention that horrible bias in terms of dress/uniforms that women experience in all events. Gender inequality - it is across the board in most sports.
What is even more disconcerting for me, in this day and age, is how there still exist historical differences in the sports and rules of the sports themselves that are outrageously unequal. They promote and perpetuate the idea that women can’t do the same things as men and that sports need to be “reduced” so women can compete.
Here is a list of some of the biggest examples (off the top of my head). But if you look deeply at any sport, you will see “accommodations” based on gender that just don’t add up and which are inequitable.
Athletics
It was years before finally in 1984, women were allowed to run the full marathon. Here are some more glaring examples of where women “do less” in the main athletic events.
Decathlon. Why do women only do 7 events (Heptathlon) and the men 10? Can’t women pole vault, throw a discus, sprint 100m? Why not let women do the same as men - run a 1,500 (not 800m), run a 400 (not 200m)?
110m hurdles. What’s with this? Why do women only run 100m hurdles? 10 more meters too tough to do? Also, why not make the hurdles standard for all sexes? Women can jump, you know.
Field Events. Why are the things thrown, the shot, the hammer, the javelin, the discus - why do they weigh less than the men’s do? Let women give it a go and throw the same weight.
Mixed relays. These are starting but should be standard for all international athletic events. Mix the men and women. It’s a beautiful race and idea.
Cross-country. Why do women only run 8km and men do the standard 10? This is just ancient bias and needs to go. Or make the men race only 8.
Other notable gender biases in sporting events.
Tennis. Wimbledon is starting now. Yet still, women don’t play a best of 5 sets at the majors, only 2 out of 3. Why not? Women can’t play that long? Please, go ask Billie Jean King. Stupid gender bias.
Tour de France. There is a Tour de France Femmes. However, it is only 8 stages long! The regular men’s tour is 21 stages. Plus, the ICU (the governing body of cycling) mandates that women can only cover a maximum distance of 140 km per day while men can cover up to 280.
Lacross. Believe it or not, this IS a big sport in the US and Canada, especially in colleges. But women play with fewer players, can’t make physical contact and must wear a different “kit” or uniform. It’s incredulous. By the way, same thing, no contact in women’s college ice hockey - too unladylike.
Gymnastics. A really nasty one when it comes to gender bias. Men compete in 6 events, women only 4. And the events are different, women's events, for the most part, are designed to show grace, and style while men’s events are all about strength, and endurance.
Bobsled. Why can’t women compete in a 4 person bobsled event? It’s just a glaring difference with the men.
I could go on and on and on forever. We need to just put men and women on the same starting line, with the same limits as men. Bar no sport. It’s as simple as that. Come on!