Below the Fold - a win for women’s sports uniforms

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WELLNESS CHECK
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Hey Below the Fold fam,

Remember all the discussion around women’s uniform requirements during the Tokyo Olympics? Months later, some progress has been made for Handball players — though more work is to be done.

TODAY'S STORY

A win for women athletes pushing back against sexist uniforms
Fri Oct 20

When women first participated in the Olympics in 1900, many were concerned they’d be a distraction to men. So to participate, women had to wear ankle-length dresses with long sleeves and high necks. Over a 100 years later, women’s sportswear is still being policed — but instead demanding the bare minimum coverage.

Up until recently, the International Handball Federation (IHF) required female participants to wear sports bras and bikini bottoms no longer than four inches on each side. Men are far less restricted with shorts and jerseys, but rules against women wearing the same are highly enforced even though female uniforms have created problems.

Some women have avoided competing as a result, such as those from Denmark and Norway who find the bikini bottoms uncomfortable and culturally insensitive. One player recalls a man in the audience at a prior match zooming in on players’ bikinis and recording.
A youth beach handball team faced sexual harassment from male players after being forced to play in the bikini bottoms. The players were aged 15-17 and raised vocal opposition, citing both the harassment and embarrassing game photos.

It wasn’t until after the Norwegian team was fined $1,740 this summer for competing in shorts that public outcry poured in, including a petition with over 61,000 signatures. The IHF later announced that players will no longer be required to wear bikini bottoms.

That said, some argue the rules are still sexist. The official requirement now states that female athletes must wear “short, tight pants with a close fit” while males can still wear loose shorts as long as they’re “not too baggy.” In more progressive moves, Germany’s women’s gymnastics team unveiled long-legged unitards to stand against the sexualization of players.

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While there’s still work to be done, find hope in these female athletes advocating for equality in sports.

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RESOURCE CENTER

New York Times:
(Where we found this story)
8 days old | 4 minutes long

Independent:

Germany’s Progress
3 months old | 12 minutes long

New York Times:
Young girls forced to wear bikini bottoms
3 months old | 8 minutes long

Collective Shout:

The petition with over 61,000 signatures
3 months old | 7 minutes long

ICYMI (AGAIN)

Friday: Saudi Arabia pledges to cut planet-warming gases
Thursday: The Global Tax Deal is quite the ordeal
Wednesday: A year into the mission to Mars

ASCII-ING ABOUT THE NEWS

           /    (%)
            \O_
              \|     O_\
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ejm           \       /\
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All these requirements can make you feel quite deflated :(

Art Credit: ASCII Art Archive

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Below the Fold - a win for women’s sports uniforms

🎬 Take Action

RESOURCE CENTER

ICYMI (AGAIN)

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Saudi Arabia pledges to cut planet-warming gases

the Global Tax Deal is quite the ordeal

a year into the mission to Mars

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