No shortcuts

‘Sex sells women’s sports’ is a myth, say experts while lauding women athletes, who are refusing to conform to clothing regulations that sexualise them at international sporting events

At the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in April this year, team Germany wore “long suits,” which the German Gymnastics Federation referred to at the time as a statement against sexualisation in the sport, adding that the issue had become more important to prevent sexual abuse. Gymnast Sarah Voss of Germany spoke of an increasing discomfort faced by women in the sport as they grew out of their children’s bodies, and that she hoped the move would embolden those uncomfortable in the usual outfits to follow their example. In their qualifications at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics last Sunday, the team once again wore unitards that covered their legs to the ankles—worn so far in competitions only for religious reasons—in contrast to the bikini-cut leotards, traditionally worn by female gymnasts. The move, which drew positive responses from fellow athletes, is also significant in light of the fact that the Tokyo Olympics is the first since the sentencing of former USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar to over 100 years in prison for sexually abusing more than 265 girls and young women, including celebrated gymnasts like Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas.

What has further fuelled the conversation recently around clothing regulations for women athletes is the fine of 1,500 euros levied on the Norwegian women’s beach handball team for refusing to play in bikini bottoms and opting for thigh-length elastic shorts during a game in the sport’s Euro 2021 tournament. US pop star Pink publicly offered to pay the fines in an act of solidarity. An NBC news report recently pointed out the inherent double standard in the uniform regulations of the International Handball Federation, which allows male players to wear tank tops and shorts, while requiring women to wear bikini bottoms “with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg”.

Mumbai-based gymnast Vaidehi Dewoolkar at the Senior Nationals in Pune in 2019. Dewoolkar says that while she has grown accustomed to the leotard after years in the sport, it can still elicit disapproving looks from those outside the gymnastics circle 

“Rules around uniforms are set by sport governing bodies. These groups, which are headed primarily by men, decide the exact parameters about what is permitted for uniforms in very specific detail… If there were a performance reason to wear tight-fitting and body-revealing uniforms [as the women do], you would expect men to do the same, especially at the elite levels. Because that is not the case, the explanation must be that there are different expectations at the cultural level for men and women in terms of body-revealing clothing,” observes Dr Elizabeth Daniels, associate professor and director of the MA programme in psychological science at the University of Colorado, in an email interview. Her research is centred on gender, media, body image, and positive youth development.

Dr Daniels notes that a large body of research in psychology and communications has found that women and girls are often sexualised in western media and consumer culture, pointing to a 2007 American Psychological Association report, which examined the prevalence of sexualisation in society and cultural institutions, and evaluated its negative consequences for girls. “The prevalence of sexualisation has likely increased since that report was released rather than decreased. In sports, there’s a common myth that sex sells women’s sports. Body-revealing uniforms are likely tied to that idea. But ‘sex sells women’s sports’ is actually a myth. Academic research shows that viewers don’t like sexualised media images of female athletes and those images don’t drive interest in women’s sports,” she points out.

Heena Sidhu

For shooter Heena Sidhu, the issue of gender equality at the Olympic Games, that has come to the fore with the Tokyo Games touted as the first gender-equal Olympics with female athlete participation at almost 49 per cent, must also incorporate the element of emotional inclusivity. “This is the first Olympics where gender equality has been given a very high stature by the IOC [International Olympic Committee]. But gender equality is not just about giving women [opportunities for] equal participation, but also about understanding where they feel let down, empathising and making certain changes.”

Bringing the matter to bear on Indian cultural practices and sensibilities, she wonders that with clothing regulations such as those mandated by the International Handball Federation, how many parents in India would be comfortable with their girls participating. “Even if the parents were okay, there are a lot of trolls out there who just would not let [the girls] be.”

Dr Elizabeth Daniels, associate professor, University of Colorado

Mumbai-based gymnast Vaidehi Dewoolkar, 19, who has been training for the last 12 years, speaks of an initial discomfort with the bikini-cut leotard, which she eventually grew out of. “With V-cuts [leotards], it’s possible that sometimes your rear can be seen and that’s absolutely normal while doing gymnastics, but in India, people forget to watch the performance and start throwing disapproving looks. As an athlete, I should be more concerned about my event than about my leotard. But somewhere in your mind, there is always the thought that what if my leotard starts inching up,” she shares. Within gymnastics circles, it is no longer a concern, but the costume can still draw ‘looks’ from a new person, which she says can affect one’s concentration. “As you mature in the sport, you get used to it,” says the athlete, who is due to attend the World University Games slated to be held this August in China, but now pushed to 2022 because of the pandemic.   

Even so, for Dewoolkar, these changes are empowering—freeing women from some of the restrictions they’ve had to follow for so long. The hope now, as Dr Daniels expresses, is that these stands taken by female athletes at international arenas will spark long overdue conversations. “Athletes themselves are speaking out and sport federations need to take a look at long-standing practices, including uniform policies, and work with female athletes to make changes. In terms of uniforms, that includes giving female athletes options, so they can compete in uniforms they are comfortable in.”

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