Gender Equity in Sports
Can Sports help enhance gender equity?
Based on Olympic Games
113 years ago, in 1900, the first women participated in the Olympic Games, 22 women participated in the two events, Tennis and Golf for female athletes. After another four years, in 1904 the first medals were given out to the champions of the 6 participants, which now also had the chance to compete in Archery. In the London Olympics 2012, there were over 302 events and on 140 of them women were permitted to compete. That’s why these Olympics are often referred to as the “women’s Olympics”. It had been the first time where no country at all had hindered women to compete, which then made up 45% of all athletes were female. Only 16 years ago, 26 nations did not send any women to the Atlanta Olympics.
54 years after the 1900 Olympic Games title IX had been passed as a bill and became a law within the United States: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in … any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance... “. These few lines set a very important milestone on the way to gender equity. Finally no women could be eliminated from sports. Gender equity in physical activities had supported general gender equity; many believe that with the sports women finally found a way to prove they are just as spirited, involved, encouraged, motivated and fair. Like this, female athletes showed the world that watching them play can be just as interesting as watching male athletes, because they fight as hard and can also set very high standards. This thought spread and convinced more people, which is definitely shown when you look at the number of participants in the Olympic games: more and more women had had their big shot at battling it out for their spot on the podium. London’s games also hold the record of the numbers of participants: 4,676 women represented their nation. Only 4,069 participated in 2000, and only four years before that it
Based on Olympic Games
113 years ago, in 1900, the first women participated in the Olympic Games, 22 women participated in the two events, Tennis and Golf for female athletes. After another four years, in 1904 the first medals were given out to the champions of the 6 participants, which now also had the chance to compete in Archery. In the London Olympics 2012, there were over 302 events and on 140 of them women were permitted to compete. That’s why these Olympics are often referred to as the “women’s Olympics”. It had been the first time where no country at all had hindered women to compete, which then made up 45% of all athletes were female. Only 16 years ago, 26 nations did not send any women to the Atlanta Olympics.
54 years after the 1900 Olympic Games title IX had been passed as a bill and became a law within the United States: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in … any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance... “. These few lines set a very important milestone on the way to gender equity. Finally no women could be eliminated from sports. Gender equity in physical activities had supported general gender equity; many believe that with the sports women finally found a way to prove they are just as spirited, involved, encouraged, motivated and fair. Like this, female athletes showed the world that watching them play can be just as interesting as watching male athletes, because they fight as hard and can also set very high standards. This thought spread and convinced more people, which is definitely shown when you look at the number of participants in the Olympic games: more and more women had had their big shot at battling it out for their spot on the podium. London’s games also hold the record of the numbers of participants: 4,676 women represented their nation. Only 4,069 participated in 2000, and only four years before that it
References: Beech, H.. The Year of the Woman: The London Olympics Strike Early for Gender Equality | TIME.com. [online] Available at: http://olympics.time.com/2012/07/29/the-year-of-the-woman-the-london-olympics-strikes-early-for-gender-equality/ [Accessed: 3 Oct 2013]. Martinson, J. 2012. London 2012 has lit a cauldron for gender equality. [online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/the-womens-blog-with-jane-martinson/2012/jul/30/london-2012-cauldron-gender-equality [Accessed: 5 Oct 2013]. Sportanddev.org. 2012. The London 2012 Olympics: A gender equality audit : International Platform on Sport and Development. [online] Available at: http://www.sportanddev.org/en/newsnviews/highlighted_initiative/social_legacy_of_london_2012_olympics/?5527/1/The-London-2012-Olympics-A-gender-equality-audit [Accessed: 7 Oct 2013]. Sportsmanagementresources.com. n.d. Media Coverage of Women 's Sports Is Important | Sports Management Resources. [online] Available at: http://www.sportsmanagementresources.com/library/media-coverage-womens-sports [Accessed: 1 Oct 2013]. Sportsmanagementresources.com. n.d. Media Coverage of Women 's Sports Is Important | Sports Management Resources. [online] Available at: http://www.sportsmanagementresources.com/library/media-coverage-womens-sports [Accessed: 1 Oct 2013]. The Globe and Mail.. Olympic Games inch closer toward gender equity. [online] Available at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/olympics/olympic-games-inch-closer-toward-gender-equity/article4475752/ [Accessed: 2 Oct 2013]. the Guardian. 2012. Sarah Attar is first Saudi Arabian woman in Olympic track and field. [online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/aug/08/sarah-attar-saudi-arabia-olympics [Accessed: 9 Oct 2013]. WOMEN IN OLYMPIC MOVEMENT. 2013. [pdf] International Olympic Committee. pp. 1 - 5. http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/Women_in_Olympic_Movement.pdf [Accessed: 1 Oct 2013].