After the women’s Norwegian beach handball team was fined for refusing to wear bikini bottoms in July, the sartorial rules of hand-based sports have been welcomely revised.
In welcome news, the International Handball Federation has dropped the requirement that women players wear bikini bottoms. This comes after the Norwegian women’s team was fined in July 2020 for refusing to abide by the rule.
The controversy reached a climax when American singer Pink offered to pay the fine for Norway’s team.
Their fine of 1,500 euros was ultimately donated to ‘a major international sports foundation which supports equality for women and girls in sports’, after public outrage sparked a global conversation about sexism in the industry.
Now, according to the guidelines, ‘female athletes must wear short tight pants with a close fit’. Hardly the loose-fitting shorts required of a male players, but a step forward nonetheless.
Before now, women were required to don sports bras and bikini bottoms, leaving little to the imagination. Norwegian Handball Federation President Kåre Geir Lio said in July that while women players were allowed to train in what they wanted ‘like the boys’, they were subject to international clothing rules when playing abroad.
The rules reflect a longstanding patriarchy within sports that spans hundreds of years. Women were only allowed to compete in the Olympics in 1900, confined to five sports: tennis, sailing, croquet, equestrianism and golf.
We’ve since come a long way, with the Olympics proving to be more gender equal year on year, but the sexualisation of women athletes remains an overbearing problem. Besides being forced to wear exposing uniforms, images of sportswomen are often circulated with sexual intent, and cropped to amplify exposed areas of the body.
VICE News even covered a Reddit page dedicated to ‘sexually invigorating’ images of athletes, including photos of wardrobe malfunctions amongst women competing in contact sports.
The reform in handball uniform is a breath of fresh air. In an industry dominated by men, it sparks a flare of hope – though clothing requirements still differ for men and women.
Handball’s International Federation has yet to confirm why they changed the rules. But it’s safe to assume the pushback from women’s teams – including Germany – and subsequent support from the media has encouraged the shift.
This marks a triumphant win for women in sport, assuring them that their voices are heard by those in charge.
On Monday, Geir Lio stated that the updated guideline was ‘both a real and symbolic step’ toward resolving sexism in the sport. The rules will come into place from January 2022. A long time coming, given resistance from Norway’s team has been mounting since 2006.
Outpourings of international support have come as a welcome surprise for Lio, who called it a ‘new experience’ for him and the team, which represents a small sport for Norway’s humble population of 5 million.
We can only hope this sense of novelty is replaced by a paradigm of gender equity, as the public continues to champion women athletes the world over.
I’m Flo, (She/Her) a remote writer at Thred. I recently completed a Masters in Visual Anthropology, and seek to interrogate the ways digital spaces can amplify marginalised voices in the arts and cultural sectors. Follow me on LinkedIn or ping me some feedback via email.
A recent study built on 20 years’ worth of evidence uncovered the alarming reality of freshwater species, reflecting the lack of proper data on global biodiversity loss.
The trend of species going extinct is not a strange concept for humanity, for our actions drive it.
Such tragedies have been traced to over 60,000 years, when Homo Sapiens started to migrate out of Africa. However, only in the last 5,000 to 500...
Babe, wake up... you're not actually a brocialist are you?
The UK is now witnessing the horrifying rise of the alt-right Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, of anti-migrant poster fame. Just last week, the party topped polls for the first time.
The former UKIP leader’s fascistic political views include: boosting police numbers, leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, and achieving “Net Zero Immigration”.
Given his politics, it...
President Donald Trump's return to the White House has introduced a series of policy reforms that will significantly impact African nations.
President Trump’s changes include an array of environmental commitments, trade dynamics, foreign aid distribution, and social policies, each carrying worrying implications for the continent.
One of Trump's initial actions was to recommence the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. This decision mirrors his 2017 exit, which was...
Following the death of UK drag star The Vivienne, members of the community warn of growing homophobia and transphobia levels across the country.
When The Vivienne was crowned winner of the inaugural season of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK, a star was born.
The Vivienne, whose real name is James Lee Williams, was a Welsh performer who reflected the best of British drag, with a sharp wit and iconic sense...
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
0 comments
