How it starts…
I know what’s on your mind… another article from yet another female labelling herself a feminist on social media and giving her unsolicited input on the infamous ‘gender pay gap’ in sports. Well, you’re not wrong, and if that is what popped into your head, this article was meant for you, but we’ll get to that much later. For now, Let’s talk about gender inequality in general around the world now, shall we?
I’m neither going to waste my time writing about it nor do I want you to waste your time reading about something that is literally one of the most common social issues that is practically general awareness by now. However, how about you humor me for a minute and type out ‘gender inequality’ on google now. You’ll be bombarded with countless articles on how this issue is faced by women in countries throughout the world at different stages in life or in different lines, whether it’s in the society, workplace or on the field. I think it is about time, that you read a story about, how this affects a person, from that person itself.
Even though it is supposed to be, a simple attribute like safety is still not equally granted to women around the world. A study conducted by the researchers from the University of Virginia in 2011 found, of more than 45,000 crash victims over 11 years, women drivers were much more likely to be injured in a crash than men. They said this was because car safety features had been designed for men. The positioning of head restraints, as well as women’s shorter height, different neck strength and musculature, as well as their preferred seating position, meant they were more susceptible to injury.
Women have been fighting for equality all throughout history. In sport, specifically, there once was a time when women were not even permitted to watch the Olympic Games, let alone participate in them. Being involved in sports from a very young age, I was exposed to some unfairness as well. You see, my school did not have a girls’ football team and the boys didn’t let me join their team. Their rebukes were often accompanied with a “You’ll get raped out there” (Which is another category of problematic, that we will deal with soon) which didn’t do much to bolster my self-confidence. Our school’s physical department wasn't any more supportive either when it came to forming a girls’ football team or a cricket team, both sports that i was interested in. The standard response often went like “Don’t bother dear, instead join the badminton or table tennis team” following which they used to dismiss me like my opinion never mattered.
The point that I am so vividly trying to make here is that ‘equal pay’ is not the only issue that arises because of gender inequality. It always starts out small. Think about it, you must’ve seen this happening around you but you either chose to ignore it or didn’t think much of it because you always thought ‘why make a mountain out of a molehill’. Opportunities of joining a team, playing at the competitive or professional level, building a career in sports or even understanding the essence of the game is snatched from so many women across the world. A great deal of talent goes to waste every time that a girl is rejected from joining a team, denied from participating in external tournaments or underestimated and discouraged by people around her.
The reasons for keeping us from participating in external tournaments, from either family or educational institute, are always so absurd. “Please concentrate on your studies and put an end to this rubbish.” “We let you join the team, right? Now don’t ask permission to leave campus for participating in these competitions” “Sorry dear, we can’t take the responsibility of so many girls out of campus” “You might be good but we have budget to send one team only, so we’ve already registered and payed for men’s team.” “Please quit the team now, you get injured every other day and I don’t approve of this game even though you’re the captain of the team.”
The reason I have included these anecdotes is to show a bare minimum of what girls have to deal with, simply to attempt to play a sport. These are just some of the lines that have been used on me in the past, if you want more examples, call up any of your female friends and simply ask them.
“Focus, determination, pain, disappointment, excitement, suspense, anger, relief: it’s all a part of the game whether you are a man or a woman,”
Annie Spewak, former lacrosse player and junior at Robert Morris University studying Public Relations.
Traditionally, sport has been split into male and female categories. Evidence reveals that boys are more likely than girls to participate in team sports while girls tend to play individual sports. These gender stereotypes indeed influence sport participation. They may both result in role conflicts and affect individuals’ decisions about whether to participate in gender “appropriate” or “inappropriate” sports. It is believed that feminine sports are those with strong aesthetic elements (figure skating, gymnastic) whereas masculine sports are those focusing on strength and physical contact (football, wrestling etc.). Due to this, encouraging girls to at least give these ‘masculine sports’ a try becomes difficult. It’s always assumed that women’s teams are inferior to their male counterparts in terms of skills and efforts. Such assumptions result in institutions providing limited facilities and undertrained staff for coaching a women’s team, families not believing or supporting the genuine effort being put in by the child and a big drop in self-confidence. Lower salaries, fewer sponsors, poorer contracts and little to no media attention are some major challenges faced by all female athletes playing at a professional level. To help you grasp the gravity of the situation, let me give you an example. PSG player Neymar was paid 36.5 million euros last season: the same amount as 1,693 female players together in the French, German, English, American, Swedish, Australian and Mexican leagues.
Although gender equality has come a long way, including UNESCO recognizing sports and physical activity as a human right in 1978, do you really think it has come far enough? Just some food for thought.
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